Thank you for sharing that. It is important to highlight clinical differences between sports psychology, which focuses on performance and mental health more generally. Some therapists do both, but there is a distinction.
They leak a lot to each other and it’s easy for athletes to think, “I’m talking to my sports psyche so I take care of everything I need.” But for me, there have been a lot of personal conflict over the years, and there have been some that have actually not been involved in sports at all. Sports and skiing are the places I feel most at home. Understanding how to feel more with myself outside of skiing was a bigger problem for me.
In recent years, there have been such changes, with more athletes talking about mental health. How was it to be a part of it? And did you see a real change happening for that?
Even when we first started our race at the World Cup, we weren’t talking about it. Over the past five or ten years, we have learned more about athletes and the various interests they have. That’s a great line. As an athlete, you want to live a certain level of personal life, right? But at the same time, sharing a little about life outside of sports can help other parts of the world and fans of sports understand you.
When I hear people say, “Athletes are human,” it’s very persistent. I’m like, “Yeah, yeah.” In fact, when many people imagine athletes, they think. It’s about awakening, training, eating sometimes, sleeping, eating again, training, competing, falling asleep. But there is a moment in between. We have issues with personal relationships, family and trauma, loss and tragedy, finances and bills and credit.
Then we have to perform on the world stage. Be a problem. ” I think people are starting to get it, so let’s continue to talk about the pressure and anxiety we feel.
I love that you can hold that difficult thing in lighter moments than enjoying sports. For example, when you win a race in Levi, Finland, you can name your reindeer! I know you added the 8th to an existing herd – Lori (short for “Aurora Borealis”) – when you insist on your 98th Winning on November 16th. Where are they and do you visit them?
The reindeer stays in Finland, Levi. My brother and his wife came to see the race last year and they wanted to go see them. So, we went to visit them for the first time!
You mentioned your dreams early on, and you It’s written Previously, from the young age of nine, you wanted to be the best in the world. I’d be interested if you felt that you’ve made that dream come true. And if you can go back and show her what the future holds, you will say what you say to young Michaela.
