This personal and professional exploration delves into the complexities of sporting culture. Dr. Izycky examines how personality traits celebrated in athletes – such as discipline, sacrifice, and focus – can simultaneously create significant vulnerabilities. The title refers to the statistical “bell curve,” suggesting that elite athletes are “skewed to the right” on key traits that place them between the general population and clinical diagnoses.

The book features insights and personal stories from high-profile figures, including:

Building on her first book, Skewed to the Right: Sport, Mental Health & Vulnerability, Dr. Izycky is currently authoring her second work, High Performance in Balance. This upcoming publication integrates her personal and professional experience to guide readers in developing a regulated mind-body “system” that optimises performance and wellbeing without the negative consequences of addiction or poor mental health.

Central to this work is an exploration of the biological and psychological foundations of managing the nervous system alongside one’s psychology. Dr. Izycky observes that high-pressure environments often leave individuals in an “upregulated” or “tired but wired” state, dominated by the sympathetic nervous system. Her approach encourages engaging the parasympathetic nervous system through physical and psychological practices – such as Yoga Nidra and Internal Family Systems (IFS) – to transition from dysregulation toward stability, peace, and cognitive sharpening. At its core, she maintains that an individual’s vulnerability is their greatest asset, provided it can be witnessed and noticed with compassion.

Notable Mentions In addition to her own publications, Dr. Izycky’s work and expertise are featured in other notable titles, including: