Premier Sport Psychology is excited to welcome one of our Summer 2018 interns, Mehvish Safdar! Read below to learn more about Mehvish.
Let’s start with a fun fact about yourself.
I am the only one in my family of five to have been born in the United States. My mom was born in Africa, my dad was born in Pakistan, my two sisters were born in England, and I was born in the United States.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would want to go to Australia. It is one of the continents I have never been to and Melbourne, Australia hosts one of the four grand slam tournaments, the Australian Open! I have been to the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, but I have not yet been to the Australian Open, which I hope to have the opportunity to experience one day. (Also , who doesn’t love an Australian accent!! )
What is the best show you’ve watched on Netflix?
The best show I’ve watched on netflix is One Tree Hill. I watched it in high school and became far too invested and emotionally attached to the show and characters. Also, after watching the show, I developed a major celebrity crush on Sophia Bush!
What is your favorite song? Favorite artist?
My favorite song is “She Will be Love” by Maroon 5. My favorite artist has always been and will always be Avril Lavigne (what better songs to karaoke to than Sk8er boy and Girlfriend).
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 my childhood best friend because we can make it a good time anywhere doing anything. If I could bring one item, I would bring my tennis racket and a tennis ball (I think that counts as one item) because I have been entertaining myself with a tennis racket and tennis ball for nearly 21 years so I think I could entertain myself with those items for a little while longer.
If you could have one superhero power, what would it be?
If I could have one superhero power, it would be to read minds, because I love trying to understand people, but we all know that can be difficult at times.
When you were in Kindergarten, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a journalist because I have always had a passion for writing!
What is one thing that scares you?
One of the things that scares me the most but also provides me with great excitement is fear of the unknown. Not knowing what lies ahead of me and what the future holds is probably one of the scariest feelings but also one of the most adrenaline-filled feelings.
Favorite sport to play? How about to watch?
My favorite sport to play and watch is tennis (shocker!).
What is your experience with sports?
I grew up playing a multitude of sports but I decided early on that I wanted to focus on pursuing tennis. I was practically “born with a racket” and I have grown up playing at the national and international level. I also played Division I college tennis at the University of Minnesota and just recently graduated.
What has drawn you to the sports psychology world?
As a competitive athlete, I quickly learned that there is another very critical component to sports aside from the technical and tactical aspect- the mental side of sports. I have learned that attending to this mental side of sports can greatly optimize athletic performance. This area has often been overlooked in the past, but I am happy to say that I have experienced and witnessed the growing demand and prioritization of mental skills training and the field of sports psychology which I hope to contribute to.
What is your educational background and future aspirations?
I am a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota, attaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. I will be attending the University of Denver starting this fall in pursuit of a Master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology. Once I complete graduate school, I plan to attain a PsyD or a PhD to put me on track in becoming a sports psychologist.