Thanks for sharing that. It’s necessary to spotlight the distinction between sport psychology, which focuses lots on efficiency, and the medical aspect, which is about extra common psychological well being. Some therapists do each, however there’s a distinction.
They do leak into one another lots, and for athletes, it’s straightforward to assume, “I’m caring for all the things I have to as a result of I’m speaking with my sport psych.” However for me, there’s been a number of private strife over time, and issues that floor that really don’t relate to the game in any respect. The game, snowboarding, is the place I really feel probably the most at residence. Determining really feel extra at residence with myself exterior of snowboarding has been an even bigger challenge for me.
There’s been such a shift in recent times, with extra athletes speaking about psychological well being. What has it been type of wish to be part of that? And have you ever seen precise modifications come about due to it?
Even after I first began racing within the World Cup, we weren’t speaking about it. During the last 5 or 10 years, we’ve been studying extra about athletes and the completely different pursuits they’ve. It’s a nice line, as a result of as an athlete, you need to have some degree of personal life, proper? However on the similar time, sharing a bit about life exterior of the game helps the remainder of the world and followers of the game perceive you.
It’s such a cringe factor after I hear folks say, “Athletes are people.” I’m like, “Yeah, duh.” The very fact is, when lots of people envision an athlete, they assume: get up, prepare, possibly eat generally, sleep, possibly eat once more, prepare, compete, fall asleep. However there are moments in between. We have now private relationships and household and trauma, loss and tragedy, funds and points with payments and credit score, the entire issues that everyone has to cope with.
Then we’ve got to carry out on a world stage, figuring out that many of the world appears like, “Properly, that is what you do, and it ought to be straightforward and we anticipate it, and when you don’t do it, that’s going to be an issue.” Let’s simply preserve speaking in regards to the pressures and anxiousness we really feel, as a result of I believe individuals are beginning to get it.
I really like that you simply’re capable of maintain that tough stuff with the extra lighthearted moments of having fun with the game. For example, having the ability to identify a reindeer while you win a race in Levi, Finland! I do know you added an eighth to your present herd—Rori (quick for “Aurora Borealis”)—while you claimed your 98th victory on November 16. The place are they, and do you go to them?
The reindeer keep in Finland, in Levi. My brother and his spouse got here to look at the race final yr they usually wished to go see them. So we went to go to them for the primary time!
You talked about your dream early on, and also you’ve written about it earlier than—that from as younger as 9 years outdated, you wished to be the perfect on the planet. I’m curious when you really feel such as you’ve made that dream come true, and what you’d say to younger Mikaela when you might return and present her what the long run would maintain.
