Month: May 2015

We have all heard the old adage, “The journey is more important than the destination,” (or some variation of it) time and again. What few people discuss, however, is what makes the journey so important.

Look at any newspaper story describing an athletic accomplishment, and you may notice that while the headline comes from the accomplishment itself, the body of the story is, in fact, a story. It is the story of how the athlete achieved his or her goals, typically through preparation and adversity. Take for example, Ben Saunders.

In 2014, Saunders accomplished a journey that no one previously had—he trekked to the South Pole and back on foot. He and his partner ventured 1,800 miles, spanning 105 days—shattering the record for the longest human-powered polar journey by over 400 miles. However, it wouldn’t have been a journey without obstacles along the way. After experiencing consistent headwind slowing them down, the two cut back their food rations to half of what they should have been consuming, and eventually ran out. 46 miles away from their storage of food, hungry and suffering from hypothermia, Saunders made the decision to call for assistance. It was not easy, and Saunders called it “one of the toughest decisions of [his] life.” He went on to say, “I don’t regret calling for that plane for a second, because I’m still standing here alive, with all digits intact. But getting external assistance like that was never part of the plan, and it’s something my ego is still struggling with. This was the biggest dream I’ve ever had, and it was so nearly perfect.”

In today’s fast-paced world, we constantly try to achieve the next goal as fast as humanly possible. We try to change the definition of what is humanly possible. We are obsessed with perfection and being the best. However, we must shift our focus from the end point to the point we are currently in. We must focus on accomplishing our current challenge before we prepare for our next challenge. Runners build up their endurance by running 5, 10, 15 miles before running a marathon. Swimmers do not swim the 400-meter freestyle without spending time in the gym building their muscles and physical strength. Athletes (much like Ben Saunders) do not accomplish great feats unless they first spend a great deal of time preparing.

We need to learn to be content with the place that we are in and not just the destination. Crossing the finish line takes a split second, but the journey takes so much longer. If we are only living for the finish line, we are only enjoying a few moments instead of the weeks, months, or years of preparation. The journey is where we learn. When people recall their stories, they don’t just say, “Well, I crossed the finish line at this time and then that was that.” They tell their stories. They talk about overcoming obstacles—when they learned what their breaking points were after being pushed to their physical and mental limits. They talk about the relationships they formed with their teammates and crews. They talk about how, in the most brutal of conditions, they learned what they were made of. We don’t learn what we’re made of after we complete goals—we learn during the process.

After Saunders completed his journey to the South Pole and back, many people asked him what would be the next milestone he would conquer. Reporters wanted to know the next destination, but Saunders was still reflecting on his journey:

“Looking back, I still stand by all the things I’ve been saying for years about the importance of goals and determination and self-belief, but I’ll also admit that I hadn’t given much thought to what happens when you reach the all-consuming goal that you’ve dedicated most of your adult life to, and the reality is that I’m still figuring that bit out. […] I’m also standing here saying, you know what, that cliché about the journey being more important than the destination? There’s something in that. The closer I got to my finish line, that rubbly, rocky coast of Ross Island, the more I started to realize that the biggest lesson that this very long, very hard walk might be teaching me is that happiness is not a finish line, that for us humans, the perfection that so many of us seem to dream of might not ever be truly attainable, and that if we can’t feel content here, today, now, on our journeys amidst the mess and the striving that we all inhabit, the open loops, the half-finished to-do lists, the could-do-better-next-times, then we might never feel it.”

To hear Saunders’ full story, watch his TED talk here.

 

Premier Sport Psychology is excited to welcome our newest member, Olivia Wyatt! Olivia will be in charge of running our social media campaign this summer. We caught up with Olivia earlier this week to learn a little more about her.

Let’s start with a fun fact about yourself.
Right before leaving for my freshman year of college, a few of my friends and I went skydiving.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would love to go to Italy. Rome, Venice, Florence, Verona, Milan–just about anywhere I could. After that, I’d go to South Africa.

Do you prefer movies or Netflix?
Both! However, I’m fairly talented when it comes to Netflix binging, so I’d say I prefer Netflix.

What is the best show you’ve watched on Netflix?
Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite show and having it on Netflix makes for some good procrastination. The West Wing is another classic, and I just finished up Mad Men. I like having Netflix on in the background while I work (not very efficient, I know).

Chocolate or vanilla?
If we’re talking ice cream, I’ll take it all.

What is the most played song on your iPod?
Roar by Katy Perry

You are being sent to a deserted island you can bring one person and one item. Who and what would you bring, and why?
I would bring one of my best friends, Michael. He’s incredibly smart and has his quirks–so much so that he is consistently compared to Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory. He’d make for a fun companion, and I’m guessing we’d survive. For the item, can that be something unrealistic, like my iPod with unlimited battery life? I’m always listening to music and wouldn’t want to give that up.

Favorite sport to play? How about to watch?
My favorite sport to play is soccer. To watch? That’s by far baseball. Hockey would be my second favorite, but there’s something about the no clock element of baseball that makes it reign supreme.

Who is your favorite athlete and why?
My favorite athlete is Justin Morneau—he’s actually the reason why I have focused on sports-related fields. On August 2, 2008 (yeah, I remember the date) I was at a Twins game with my dad and my brother, and I saw that Morneau’s number was 33 – 33 was also my soccer number, so I had to like him! Then, later in the game, I was looking at one of the small scoreboards in the Metrodome and saw that his batting average was .316 – which happens to be my birthday. Something clicked, and from then on I was hooked – following every game and all the players. I’m glad Morneau’s a great person on and off the field, because it has given me someone to root for. Fun Fact: Morneau was on the MLB All-Star Final Vote ballot last year, and I voted over 12,000 times to bring him back to Minnesota. Sadly, it was to no avail – but he did come back for the Home Run Derby, so life was good.

What is your experience with sports?
I grew up playing soccer and dancing, and then had to make the inevitable choice between the two once I reached high school. I chose to continue to dance competitively, as well as train younger dancers. Currently at Tufts, I tap dance in an ensemble. I also kickbox.

What has draw you to the sport psychology world?
While I was in high school, I was drawn to the analytical side of sports. I have since realized that what more interests me is the dynamic that players have with each other–both as teammates and competitors. Even more so, I’m fascinated by how a player can have all the makings of a star talent-wise, but fail to reach that potential if he or she doesn’t have a strong mental game. Sport psychology aligns right along with helping athletes master their mental games.

What is your educational background and what are your future aspirations?
I just finished up my sophomore year at Tufts University (which is located just outside Boston) where I’m studying Psychology and Economics. After I graduate, I plan to obtain a Masters and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology in the hopes to one-day work for an MLB team.

Adversity Since Birth

We hear all about the sports figures that are in the limelight: Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Mia Hamm to name a few. But is it possible that there is a few that hold the same credence without getting the proper attention they deserve? Absolutely, and Tatyana McFadden may be at the top of that list.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tatyana grew up in an orphanage for the first six years of her life. Born with Spina Bifida, a disability caused by a hole in your back, she was paralyzed from her waist down. While the other kids ran around, Tatyana refused to fall behind so she learned how to walk using only her arms and hands. Without the funding to buy a wheelchair, she unknowingly began to develop arm strength that would aid her rise to stardom in the years to come. Her wheelchair did come with time however when she was introduced to Deborah McFadden, an American woman who was taking routine a business trip as the Commissioner of Disabilities for the U.S. Department of Health. The two instantly connected and the adoption process took place before Deborah returned home.

11 Medals And Counting

Tatyana was still volatile upon her arrival in America, and was given a timeline of a few months to two or three years maximum left to live. Hoping to build up her strength, Tatyana’s new parents introduced her to sports, an infatuation that would bring her international success and an amazing mindset that puts most to shame. She tried many sports, but absolutely loved wheelchair racing, and excelled at it in no time. She told her mother that she wanted to be an Olympian one day, that she wanted to feel what they (Olympic athletes) feel when standing on the winner’s podium. Sure enough, Tatyana would experience that feeling not once, not twice, but 11 times in the 10 years that followed. At the 2014 Paralympics, she received her first two medals in wheelchair racing at age 14, one silver and one bronze. Four years later in Beijing, she added 4 more medals which was then mimicked in the 2012 Paralympics in London when she tallied another 4, 3 of those being gold medals. Making her the fastest woman in the world in her sport. While most people would be satisfied with 10 Olympic medals, Tatyana was unenthused with only participating in one sport. In 2013 she decided to pick up cross-country skiing, and with less than one year of experience in the snow, you guessed it, she made the winter Paralympics. And while she was at it she amazingly enough out performed all but one, slightly missing the gold medal and receiving silver.

If you are not too busy picking up your jaw that has rightfully dropped, the most incredible thing to consider is that she has accomplished all of this before graduating from college. As 2014 eventually rolled around, Tatyana finished her education at the University of Illinois with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, she plans to pursue graduate studies which is another thing that should not seem surprising at this point. She carries a precedence and demand for excellence in all facets of her life. She says that through her life she has “wanted to prove that with training and hard work and dedication you can be the best. And if you don’t train you wont be the best.” Plain and simply, hard work is her mantra. This mentality has been most recently rewarded when she received the 2015 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award for her accomplishments in both track and field and cross-country skiing. And when asked about her “disability” she responds by saying “I hate that word, disability, because there is nothing disabled about us (those that are disabled), we have accomplished much more than the average person.” She is absolutely right, and maybe her words and actions will one day inspire the Laureus award to be renamed to the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Sports Ability Award. Tatyana McFadden demonstrates the mental toughness and resilience that we should all seek, and shows us that “disability” is simply a limitation that we put on ourselves.

To read more about her story check out this website and this video.