We’re designating it: Summer 2024 is the *official* Summer of Champions. Right here at Well+Good, we are honoring the remarkable athletes, coaches, and narratives behind the Paris Olympics and the U.S. Open tennis championships. Dive in as we highlight everything from the fitness routines and self-care practices of today’s top athletes to the broader cultural dialogues influenced by this summer’s spectacular events. Read More
What was the key to Allie Wilson making her first Olympic team? She believes it wasn’t a physical breakthrough on the track—it was the mental work she’s been doing. For years, the 800-meter runner felt she was struggling to stand out as one of the best. “We reached a point where I knew deep down that I wanted it so badly, but I never truly believed I would achieve it,” Wilson told Citius podcast after securing second place at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. “I dealt with a lot of self-doubt, confidence issues; I always placed others above me on a pedestal.”
Professionals Mentioned in This Article:
– Allie Wilson, Olympic 800-meter runner
– Anna Hall, Olympic heptathlon athlete
– Bradley Donohue, PhD, director of The Optimum Performance Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
– Emily Saul, LMHC, Boston-based sports psychology coach, licensed mental health counselor, and founder of E Saul Movement
– Emily Sisson, New Balance-sponsored marathoner and two-time Olympian
– Nikki Hiltz, Olympic 1500-meter runner
Despite her reservations, Wilson began working with mental coach Bianca Martin. “I always thought mental work was so fake,” she admits. “I don’t know why I was so against it. I just didn’t think it would make a difference, and I never thought it would be as important as what I was doing on the track.” While the focus is often on the physical skills and abilities of our favorite Olympians, there’s an unseen piece of the puzzle: their mental training. “Bianca has a way of making me feel calmer and more confident,” Wilson remarks. “I knew something was missing, and she was changing that for me.”
Wilson is not the only one. According to clinical psychologist Bradley Donohue, PhD, director of The Optimum Performance Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to remain competitive, top athletes must almost invariably engage sport psychologists and performance coaches. Cultivating a routine of mental wellbeing practices has significantly benefited many elite athletes. The best part? It can benefit you as well. “A significant aspect of sport psychology is assisting athletes in developing skills to optimize their thought processes, perceptions, and actions in performance situations,” Dr. Donohue states. “However, these skills also apply to non-sport performance scenarios.”
Here’s an inside look at some of the strategies four Team USA athletes employed to gain an edge and secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Whether you’re aiming for a promotion, training for a marathon, or simply striving to be the best parent, friend, or spouse you can be, take note.
1. Flip the script
To combat her pre-race nerves and negative thoughts, Wilson and her coach initiated a unique ritual: a “burn ceremony.” “Bianca said, ‘Write down every single negative thought you’re having, without saying it out loud,'” Wilson explains. “Then she told me, ‘Now write the opposite on the other side of the paper.’ So I had to counter each negative thought. So if it was ‘I’m nervous,’ it became ‘I’m excited’; ‘I don’t want to do this’ became ‘I want to do this.'” Afterward, Wilson tore them out of her journal. “We burned the negative one as I said the positive one out loud—so I never vocalized the negative ones. It was liberating to let go of those negative thoughts.”
We’re not always conscious of our thoughts or how they truly impact us. “Negative thoughts, just like positive thoughts, are contagious, meaning they spread quickly,” Dr. Donohue emphasizes. “The brilliance of this exercise lies in the initial awareness of negative thinking patterns so each thought can subsequently be optimized. By being prompted to record ‘all’ thoughts, this process helps athletes discern between optimal and non-optimal thinking.” While the act of burning is likely symbolic, “the crucial aspect of this method is actively replacing each non-optimal thought with a positive one.”
2. Narrow your focus
Similar to life, one thing is fairly guaranteed when running a marathon: it won’t always be easy. “In most of the marathons I’ve run, something went wrong or hit a rough patch,” says New Balance-sponsored marathoner and two-time Olympian Emily Sisson. “In those moments, it’s easy to think, ‘This is so hard’ or ‘This is not going to be my day.’ But most of the time, I’ve managed to come out ahead and have a really good or decent day.” Sisson attributes a simple yet highly effective mental tool to get through those challenging times. “I’m very task-oriented,” she says. “In races and training in general, I concentrate on each task as it arises and don’t get too far ahead. That’s crucial and essential for me. As a race unfolds, I feel that overall I perform better, feel better, and enjoy it more when I don’t project too far ahead.”
Boston-based sports psychology coach and licensed mental health counselor Emily Saul, founder of E Saul Movement, explains why Sisson feels better adopting this approach. “Your brain is continually evaluating the balance between the challenge in front of you and the resources you have to meet that challenge,” she says. “If your brain perceives the challenge as significant, it will trigger fear and the desire to protect you rather than rise to the challenge.” Breaking things down into smaller pieces helps manage that brain response. “When she concentrates only on small, straightforward tasks, her brain easily assesses that the demand falls well within her capability,” Saul elaborates. “By guiding the part of the brain to focus on one piece at a time, it avoids overwhelm. This leads to a more consistent and effective ability to perform at full capacity.”
3. Keep it consistent
Similar to steadily increasing mileage to enhance running skills, Sisson devotes as much effort to her mental game. “It didn’t happen overnight, and it’s something I still have to work on continuously,” she shares. “I talk to a therapist once a week. And my husband is also a therapist, so sometimes I seek his guidance on reframing things or imbuing a more positive perspective when I sense any pressure or negativity.” Track star Nikki Hiltz is another athlete who reaped the rewards from persistent dedication. Here’s what she disclosed after a thrilling first-place finish at Olympic Trials: – Regular meetings with my therapist – Continued jotting down motivating, calming, or belief-instilling notes in my notepad -Engaging in positive self-talk and manifestations through journaling -100 days of consecutive meditation
“The key takeaway is that what you consistently practice is perceived by your brain as ‘normal’ and predictable, hence safe and reliable,” Saul affirms. “This safety establishes a foundation from which your brain and body can collaborate to allocate significant energy to maximize your performance and realize your potential.”
4. Prime your mind
The women’s heptathlon is a demanding event in track and field, challenging athletes with seven different events over two days. It’s physically and mentally taxing. After a disheartening fall at the previous Olympic Trials and a knee surgery last summer…
