LIKE so many Australians, I was moved by the courage Anna Meares displayed to win her Olympic silver medal on the cycling track at Beijing. Her effort to stand on the podium just months after she suffered a broken neck during a race is a great story and one people will long seek inspiration from - and rightfully so.

There is a lot to admire about the courage Meares - and others - display. For instance, I've also read where an Olympic diver named Alex Croak is terrified of heights, yet she overcomes that fear to climb 10 metres every time she trains or competes for Australia. It's gutsy … few people will ever leave their comfort zone during their day at the office.

I believe the toughest opponent any athlete must beat is themselves. They must overcome the fears only they know; they have to put aside any problems and wrestle with self-doubt to put it all together on a public and unforgiving stage - the sports field.

Sometimes when you are fighting against those things it is like being caught in a rip at the beach. No matter how hard you paddle and kick, it is very hard to perform to the usual expectations you place on yourself. We've all been there, it is impossible for anyone - except perhaps for my teammate Brett Kirk - to turn up week in, week out for 22 weeks of a regular footy season pumped to give everything.

There'll be people who might be shocked by my admission … they are the ones who think athletes are robots. While I have learnt that sometimes things can't click when the whips are cracking, I've never walked off the field thinking it doesn't matter.

It hurts to hear that voice say "no" after you've asked yourself whether you're happy with your efforts. At those times you count down the days until the next match … it becomes a matter of redemption. It is the reason we keep fighting and pushing when it'd be easy to give up.

A few people have asked me how I psych myself up before a big game like this weekend's against Collingwood in Melbourne. I have never been one who has needed music or videos to pump me up for the challenge. That comes from within.

Perhaps it is pride, but I reckon if anyone needs to rely on those outside forces to have a crack when their back is to the wall then they are in the wrong field.

The mental side of sport is such an important factor in performing and in winning.

I can't tell you what I do to get ready for a game, I just find the zone and go for it. I do think of the reasons I play: my team, my teammates and the club's fans, but the competitiveness and desire to, if not win, then to at least give my best - like Meares - seems to be what pushes me.

As we prepare for Collingwood, I don't mind admitting to getting pumped by the thought of the courage Meares displayed to perform in the most pressure-packed situation she has ever faced - the Olympic final. A lot of the time we footballers are pretty much self-centred and we don't tend to look beyond our own injuries or form battles, but I gained a lot from watching that race.

When we play Collingwood the stadium will be packed; we'll be dealing with the Magpies' aura and we'll be contending with an outfit that is expected to feature strongly in the finals series. We haven't beaten them in any of our past five starts but I'm going down there with the firm belief we will beat them. After all, if we don't have that inner belief, who will?

If I've learnt anything from the Olympics it's the power of self-belief and courage I saw in Anna Meares.