The Olympics are a time when the supreme of the supreme of athletes come together to partake in twelve days of games. What the twelve days of competition don’t account for is the four years of struggle of dedication along with the mental determination it takes just to make it there.
While the physical athleticism of the competitors is almost unmatched, it’s the mental side of the games that some people look past, especially at a young age.
Natascha Wesch is a mental performance consultant based in London. She believes it’s the mental component of the sports that gives some athletes the edge.
“Every athlete has all the technical components, every athlete is strong, every athlete is fast,” Wesch explains. “What differentiates the top athletes is the mental game.”
The composure and ability to stay focused as the ‘3-2-1’ count is on, that takes mental strength far beyond the physical.
The technical ability is what allows athletes to be good at their sport of choice, but young athletes often aren’t taught and seen practicing the mental skills, something Wesch says is far more important than given credit for.
” [It’s the] little things like developing confidence, developing focus skills, developing the ability to manage nerves, because nerves are 100%, natural and needed.”
This is all so easy to say from an outsider’s perspective, but the Olympics are a different beast. As someone who grew up playing competitive sports, the pressure is always on.
No one can talk about the pressure and mental factor of the Olympics better than an Olympian.
Joe Bartoch is a former Olympic swimmer from London who was at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games. He says in a setting like the Olympics, no matter the sport, fear can seep in.
“Although you train with a team, that’s really great. But then when it comes down to the actual performance, yeah, you’re by yourself,” Bartoch says. “It can kind of be kind of scary if you’re not really prepared.”
Before you can ever consider the Olympics and the preparation, mental or physical, that comes with it, there are years and years of hard work. As much hard work that goes into it, sometimes it’s just not meant to be and there’s not much you can do about it.
“The stars have to align, right? You have to have the DNA. And then second, you have to have the drive to do it” Joe explains. “You have to be able to sacrifice so much.”
The Olympics require the best of the best, the cream of the crop. The athleticism required is to a level that many would struggle to get to, but it’s the mental game that gives athletes the edge. Let’s not skip over that with our future Canadian Olympians.
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