Trader Daniel: “Strong risk management, consistency, and emotional discipline.”
What inspires you to pursue trading?
I am inspired by the opportunity to achieve financial independence and to develop a skill that rewards discipline, patience, and continuous learning. Trading challenges me to improve my decision-making and risk management while working in a performance-based environment.
Where have you learnt about FTMO?
I first learned about FTMO through the online trading community, including social media and traders sharing their experiences with proprietary trading firms. After researching various firms, FTMO stood out for its reputation, clear rules, and professional approach to funding traders.
What do you think is the key to long-term success in trading?
The key to long-term success in trading is strong risk management, consistency, and emotional discipline. A trader must follow a clear strategy, avoid overtrading, and focus on protecting capital while letting profitable setups play out over time.
How did you manage your emotions when you were in a losing trade?
When I am in a losing trade, I focus on staying objective and following my trading plan. Losses are part of trading, so I avoid making emotional decisions and review whether the setup still aligns with my strategy and key levels. Staying calm and disciplined helps me maintain consistency in the long term.
Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?
Yes, my goal is to continue growing as a trader and manage larger capital over time. If I maintain consistent performance and discipline, I would definitely consider taking on another FTMO Challenge to scale my trading and manage larger FTMO Accounts.
One piece of advice for people starting the FTMO Challenge now.
My advice would be to focus on risk management and patience. Many traders fail because they overtrade or take unnecessary risks. Sticking to a clear strategy and protecting your capital is much more important than trying to make quick profits.
Trader Yara: “Maintaining focus and emotional control was the biggest challenge.”
Where have you learnt about FTMO?
I first learned about FTMO through friends who are involved in trading, and I also came across it on Instagram, where many traders were sharing their experiences and results with the FTMO Challenge.
Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?
Yes, definitely. My goal is to continue improving my trading performance and risk management so I can qualify for larger capital and scale my trading with FTMO over time.
What was the hardest obstacle on your trading journey?
The hardest obstacle was continuing to trade and stay disciplined during the difficult circumstances and challenging conditions that I went through. Maintaining focus and emotional control during those times was the biggest challenge.
How did you eliminate the factor of luck in your trading?
I eliminated the factor of luck by developing a structured trading plan, focusing on risk management, and following a consistent strategy. By analysing my trades and sticking to disciplined rules, my results became based on probability and preparation rather than luck.
Describe your best trade.
My best trade was a swing-holding trade in gold (XAUUSD). After analysing the market structure and identifying a strong support zone, I entered the trade with a clear risk management plan and held the position as the trend developed. The market moved strongly in my favour, and by staying patient and disciplined, the trade reached my Profit Target with a very good reward-to-risk ratio.
What is the number one piece of advice you would give to a new trader?
My number one piece of advice to a new trader is to focus on discipline and risk management rather than on quick profits. Protecting your capital and consistently following a clear strategy are what allow traders to survive in the long term and become profitable.
Trader Thijs: “Choose one pair and learn how it reacts.”
Do you have a trading plan in place, and do you follow it strictly?
Yes, I now follow only one pair on the 15m chart, and it works and finally pays off. As you can see from the results of this Challenge, I was able to follow my rules as planned.
Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?
Not yet. For now, I want to receive my payment in the coming month, and after that, my plan is to upsize and do more Challenges. I will start with one or two $100k FTMO Challenges and see what happens after that.
How has passing the FTMO Challenge and Verification changed your life?
When I started this journey (trading), I learned about a man who traded for five years. After four years of losing and trying, in the fifth year, he earned all the invested money back in one year. That story still resonates in my head to this day. So it could change my life radically — buy a house, have a future with my now girlfriend, future wife, and kids. It would be the most wonderful thing in my life to make it all happen.
How does your risk management plan look?
I try to risk 1% and profit 1% on bigger trades. Smaller trades with tighter Stop Loss I hold for longer. I aim to capture the bottom or the high, so the move can be 3–9%. It strongly depends on what the market is doing. I close partial positions at 1% and at 2–3%.
What was more difficult than expected during your FTMO Challenge or Verification?
Having no FOMO during short-term market movements. Having a plan and waiting for liquidity to be drawn down is my strategy. Sometimes a breakout goes according to plan, but sometimes not. Only taking AAA setups is the difficult part.
What would you like to say to other traders who are attempting the FTMO Challenge?
Start trading on a Free Trial until you feel comfortable. Don’t change pairs or timeframes when you already have a plan. Choose one pair — metals, indices, or forex — and stick to that one and learn how it reacts. If you are a good trader and know the skill, you don’t need more than two pairs to trade.
