As we all sit back in awe and watch athletics at its best at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it’s easy to forget everything that goes into being the best of the best.
We see them on the podium stand, receiving their medals, and only they and a few in their close-knit support system truly know the blood, sweat, and tears that went into that round piece of metal draped across their necks.
Becoming an Olympian is a full-time job. It takes everything within you, in body, mind, and spirit, to get you there. It also takes a village around you to hold you up when you don’t think you can stand and to guide, coach, and cheer you on as you undertake one of the most daunting endeavors.
I know this journey as a former elite and collegiate gymnast. I endured the blood, sweat, and tears, and I had my village. I missed the Olympics by one spot, earning the never-sought-after title of “Olympic alternate.”
Until the last decade or so, athletics was a physical endeavor, at least in the eyes of the world. There wasn’t much discussion around sports' mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Fortunately, athletes such as Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, and Naomi Osaka are bringing mental health into the spotlight, as it should be.
As a former athlete who has dealt with physical and mental health challenges for much of my life, I believe we do our athletes a disservice when we separate out the body and the mind. Every aspect of who we are is intricately connected within and around our bodies. We need to start looking at things more holistically and understand the complex nature of being human and, even more, being a high-level athlete.
This has become my life passion: supporting elite-level athletes holistically during their sports careers, as they transition out, and beyond.
Had I known better, I would have done so many things differently.
Maya Angelou reminds us, “Do the best that you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” I believe in this, and it’s a guiding light for my work. I know better now. I’m trying to do better.
My background as a functional medicine physician assistant and former elite gymnast has allowed me a perspective that can truly provide the support athletes need. I can empathize with the experience while also drawing upon my holistic medical knowledge to ensure athletes are meeting foundational needs such as balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and recovery, balancing stress and joy, and cultivating healthy, supportive relationships.
As I’ve mentioned, Olympic-level athletes need a village of support. Sometimes, having a person in that village who isn’t immersed in the day-to-day stress is helpful to provide a different perspective. This is part of my job. I’m there for the athlete as a sounding board, an unbiased ear to listen, and a compassionate guide to buffer the stress of intense training. It’s all about the balance. Coaches need to be tough, but athletes can break down if there isn’t a buffer to the daily stress of tough training.
This is where I guide and teach mindfulness meditation to athletes, as well. Mindfulness is a powerful buffer to the strain of constantly seeking the next medal, record, or milestone in athletics. I teach athletes how to return to the present moment, cultivate self-love and compassion, and rebalance their nervous systems from the stress mode of training.
I consider myself an educated mentor for elite athletes. I have lived the highs and lows of elite athletics and can provide a “Hindsight is 20/20” view for those in the thick of it or recently retired. I have years of experience and education in holistic medicine. I know that this integrative approach, including mind, body, and spirit, will support athletes in and out of the competitive arena, helping them reach their fullest potential for as long as they can in the sports they love.
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