Perform in competition like you perform in your best training sessions and beyond!

Most athletes don’t have a problem during training; they have a problem in competition. Attention span and concentration are reduced for various reasons that interfere with performance. Physical preparation is there, but the mental side isn’t keeping up.

Mental preparation isn’t an extra layer of pressure, quite the opposite. It’s more about removing what gets in your way. I can help you build personalized tools in just a few weeks that you can use on your own for the rest of your athletic life.

My goal is to get you to independence as quickly as possible.

My practice is based in Sommarøy, Tromsø, north of the Arctic Circle. Sessions are available in person and via video conference.

Get in touch

A direct chat is better than long texts.

Contact me by email or phone/WhatsApp.

I respond personally.

Best,
Olivier Pitras
olivier@69nord.com
+47 993 62 570 (WhatsApp)

“As for the future, it is not a question of predicting it but of making it possible.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Who is Olivier Pitras?

Olivier Pitras is a sophrologist specializing in mental training for athletes, a “Oxygen Advantage” functional breathing instructor and the founder of “69Nord Sommarøy Outdoor Center”. He is also the first French skipper to sail across the Arctic Ocean (the “Transarctic 1999” expedition, traveling the Northwest Passage from west to east). That’s no small feat. For 35 years, Olivier has had to overcome challenges similar to those athletes face in competition. Staying focused in the moment despite fatigue and adversity. Extreme cold, prolonged isolation, no room for error, no audience, no coach, just the quality of his own mental preparation. He has navigated the Northwest Passage twice. He’s led sailing expeditions in Svalbard, East and West Greenland, Alaska, and on Ellesmere Island in the far Canadian north. He sailed in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and Siberia. He published a book about his first Northwest Passage (The Ice Route, Transboréal, 2001) and has directed 6 documentary films.

When Olivier talks about managing competition stress, quieting the mind, and staying grounded under pressure, he’s not working from a manual. He draws on extensive field experience gained in some of the most demanding environments on the planet.

→ want to know more about Olivier?

A tailored program

The first session is longer than the following ones. It’s not about introducing techniques; it’s about understanding you: your sport, your goals, your mental habits, and what exactly is standing in the way between your best training and your best performance. The first session also lets us see if we click, which is essential!

From there, Olivier builds a program tailored to your situation, not a standard protocol. It’s a selection of specific, customized tools that match your levers and schedule. The goal is to relieve mental load rather than piling on new obligations.

Possible areas of work

• Bridging the gap between your training level and your competition level
• Turning pre-competition stress into a tool for going beyond yourself rather than a barrier
• Building and maintaining self-confidence based on concrete facts rather than hope
• Improving focus and the ability to refocus when your attention drifts
• Developing a clearer and more constructive inner dialogue
• Setting meaningful goals and staying motivated throughout an entire season
• Integrating technical progress faster through visualization and mental repetition
• Recovering better between efforts and competitions
• Strengthening team cohesion (for group and team programs)

The supports/frames used

Sports sophro-pedagogy is sophrology specifically adapted for sports. It’s a structured approach that’s been proven for over 60 years to develop mental skills and improve performance. Sports sophro-pedagogy is now widely used in high-level sports and increasingly at all levels of practice.

The Oxygen Advantage method, developed by Patrick McKeown, is training—or re-education if needed—focused on functional breathing to avoid the pitfalls of hyperventilation. The applications of the Oxygen Advantage method cover endurance as well as high-intensity efforts, recovery, and regulation of the autonomic nervous system.

How long does support last?

Duration: 8 to 12 weeks, one hour per week, focusing on a specific theme. Extended follow-up is available for elite athletes with more complex or ongoing needs.

Format: Individual sessions, online or in-person at our center in Sommarøy or at the athlete’s location. Group programs and team seminars are also possible. The 69Nord ecolodge can host up to 15 people (athletes, coach) on-site, with larger capacity available across the Sommarøy archipelago.

With your coach: Regular check-ins with your coach are often necessary and beneficial. Mental preparation works best when integrated into your overall training.

What sport do you play?

This program isn’t reserved for elite athletes or specific disciplines. What matters is having a clear performance goal and the willingness to do the mental work alongside the physical training.

Whether you’re preparing for a competition, going through an injury, coming out of a performance slump, or just curious about what mental training could add to what you’re already doing, a direct conversation is the best first step.

Certified RNCP Sophrologist, Psycho-behavioral Sophrology, specialization in athlete mental preparation (EFDS)

Advanced Instructor at OxygenAdvantage

According to the professional code of ethics, the sophrologist is bound to strict professional confidentiality.

Rate

850 NOK per individual session (approx. 45 minutes). Group and seminar rates available on request.



Seminars

For team seminars, our eco-lodge can host a team of 15 people on-site. If the number of people is larger, we have a large capacity on the Sommarøy archipelago (accommodation, meeting rooms, etc.)