Sara McMann Olympic Medalist in Wrestling

Hello everybody!

Well, it's coming down to crunch time. I leave on Wednesday to compete in my Olympic Trials in Las Vegas. I weigh in on Thursday and wrestle on Friday.

I'm feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement as the date gets closer and closer. This is a crucial time for a wrestler because the weeks leading up to a competition can be grueling. It seems that the actual event is less stressful than the weeks leading up to it.

Since this is not my first major tournament, I am very seasoned on distracting myself and staying calm. Stress and nervousness can lead to negative results in performance. It can make you far more tired than than you should be. It can cause you to be a step behind in reflexes and instincts. It can cause you to "freeze up" or choke.

Calming your nerves is a difficult task. Our sport psychologists offer a lot of valuable advice for relaxation. Some include meditation, deep breathing exercises, and stretches. I have simply done the things that are most natural to me when I am thinking about an upcoming event. These include reading, watching a movie, sleep, and focusing on things that I care about outside of wrestling. I know that at the end of the day, my friends and family will love me and support me no matter how I perform. That alone eases some of my pressure.

Finally, the greatest aspect I have to settle my nerves is confidence. I know that I have prepared myself the best that I can and that comforts me during my matches. Not simply working hard, but also working smart.

Thanks for all of your support!

Sara

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A break from training

May 26, 2008

Training has been tough these past few weeks, but we finally had a good day off. Typically, I want to sleep all day long because my body is exhausted. Instead of sinking into my bed, my teammates and I decided to go swimming in the Broad River.

It was just what we needed to relax and feel rejuvenated. When you've been sitting under the pressure of the upcoming Olympic Trials, your stress levels slowly creep up on you. I think that by sitting beside the river and laughing with our friends, we were able to set that weight down, if only for a day.

Today it's back to managing our weight and training our bodies to be elite. Yesterday's fun makes it a little easier to do that...

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Big Moments

I once heard a quote that roughly said, "Overnight success usually takes about 15 years." This quote helps to remind me of two important aspects that I must diligently pursue to attain my own success. The first one is to tirelessly set right the most minute details to hitting my moves correctly. Here is where most people get left behind because it is the most boring chore that an athlete can face. The second one is that I must perform these skills when it is the most important time of my life. Failure to do either of these things will result in poor performance. Here are some of the tricks I use to attain these two things:

1) Have a sense of humor. Boring drills and extreme pressure can cause fatigue, but joking around in between drills or matches helps lighten my mood.

2) Remember WHY I am doing this. All of us are a compilation of our habits. I know if I practice good habits, it will become a part of who I am. If I feel too much pressure, I remember that I love my sport and there's no where else I'd rather be.

3) Help someone younger. If I can't find the motivation to have a great practice, helping a young, eager wrestler helps me to focus on the finer points, but not get too caught up on my own mistakes. Plus, enthusiasm is contagious.

4) Take time OFF!! Recovery is absolutely essential for everyone. If any problem is getting too big, step away for a little while. This can help you to see solutions that were not apparent before. It can also help to give renewed energy to attack the problem.

These aren't all of my tricks, but you get the idea, right? I'm not only talking about success in wrestling, I think these little tricks can help people in many different areas. Well, I'm off to practice. I've got the Olympics on my mind...

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