Ever since I started training full time as an Olympic weightlifter, I have realized the importance and necessity of having someone on my side. Not just someone to push me, motivate me, and to give me feedback on my lifting, but someone who is there by my side through the highs and lows of training, the frustration and disappointment associated with injury, and who is always there to support me in my decisions, no matter what.
Having someone like this -- a mentor, a brother, a boyfriend, a friend, whomever – is absolutely vital to success as an athlete. Although this is true in any sport, and for life in general, I find this especially applicable to weightlifting. Because lifting is so taxing mentally, it is pretty much certain that we will all reach a breaking point. Maybe it will happen to you – whether it’s just a slump in training, a severe injury (like me), or just mental fatigue, having someone to push you through those tough moments is as important as having a coach to coach you through the snatch and the clean and jerk.
If you are a serious athlete and you do not have a person like this in your life, please find one! Someone you can trust, rely on, complain to, cry with, etc; someone who will support you through the thick and thin of your training no matter what, who understands your nuances as an athlete and as a person in gernal. We all need shoulders to lean on in life, so why is training any different? Just because we’re strong as an athlete doesn’t mean we need to be on our own in the sport. So find that person who will always be on your side no matter what.
Happy training!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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1 comments:
Great, great post :) Everyone in the world needs someone. There's no pleasure in life or drive to change if everything is for yourself. The sheer joy of engaging in something with the help, encouragement and inspiration of others is invigorating. Three cheers to positive influences all around the world =]
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