We all experience nervousness before major events in our lives, but imagine those moments being magnified on the global stage, with your entire performance depending on a once-every-four-years opportunity.
Several current and former Olympic team members have shared their preparation methods, tips, and tricks.
From "colour breathing" to watching animé, here's what they said about how they manage their nerves before some of the most crucial moments in their careers.
Nikita Ducarroz, BMX Freestyle
Ducarroz emphasises the importance of communicating with her team to express her feelings and avoid bottling things up.
She also relies on visualisation, music, breathing techniques, and maintaining a fun atmosphere to manage her nerves. Ducarroz notes that sometimes it's crucial to step away from all the noise and use these tools, while at other times, it's about having laughs with friends. She uses breathing and visualisation exercises during training sessions, before travel, and right before her heats at competitions.
Her current favourite technique is progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), which combines deep breathing with muscle tensing, connecting the mind to the body.
Anita Alvarez, Artistic Swimming
Alvarez says that as she has grown older, she has gained a different perspective on everything, understanding that she is doing something she enjoys and started because she loved it. She also reminds herself that nothing catastrophic will happen if something goes wrong—it's not as if she's performing surgery.
Evy Leibfarth, Canoe/Kayak
Leibfarth takes time each day to mentally step away from racing and focus on other activities such as painting, thrifting, or simply going for a coffee with friends. She also believes that working with a sports psychologist in the weeks leading up to an event is crucial.
A few minutes before her run, she employs breathing techniques and juggles during warmups to have something other than her run to focus on.
Colour breathing is one of her favourite strategies. She assigns each emotion a colour (red for confidence, blue for anxiety, white for calm, etc.) and visualises breathing in the desired colours and breathing out the unwanted ones.
Regan Smith, Swimming
For Smith, managing her nerves before a big race revolves around routine and mindset, reminding herself of all the hard work and preparation she has put in.
She admits she has a pump-up playlist with a lot of Megan Thee Stallion, which hypes her up and gets her in the zone to compete.
Smith has also spent the last several months working with a sports psychologist, who has taught her to view big meets and events through a logical lens, helping her stay grounded and not overwhelmed by the moment. When she’s not in the pool, she unwinds by spending time with her cat, Roo.
IOL LIfestyle