The fact is, if a swimmer is not mentally tough, it wouldn’t matter if they had the perfect technique, a perfect body, perfect weight, plus all the know-how in the world - because it’s only through the mind that a swimmer is allowed to use all these great advantages. If their mind is not ‘programmed’ for success, then nerves, intimidation or fear may stop them from swimming anywhere near the times their potential would suggest. So don’t worry if you feel intimidated by other swimmers who may appear to have better strokes or physique, because as long as you are physically competitive, you can win the big meets anyway, through being mentally tougher than the opposition. Every day, swimmers are winning races when technically they are not as well-equipped as their competitors, and this is simply because they know how to win. This is proven in virtually every sport, it’s not just restricted to swimming.
When you consider that as every decade passes, and we look back at the times set by the great Olympic champions ten and twenty years ago, you’ll find that since then those record times have been smashed over and over again, almost to the point where they begin to appear ‘slow’! Yet these unbelievable records were considered to be unbeatable at the time they were recorded, and now these times look much more achievable and ‘beatable’ 10 years later.
World records will continue to be broken for a long time, and so this means that most of the times which you may regard as ‘impossible to achieve’, may actually be regarded as quite slow in 10 year’s time! Think about that for a moment. The great times being set today may actually be regarded as slow, in 10 year’s time! Doesn’t that make them seem a little more achievable than they were a minute ago?
All it takes is a little belief in yourself that your goal is possible. You see, as soon as we decide something is impossible, it becomes impossible - because our mind then firmly programmes our body not to achieve it. So think of your mental training as the ultimate secret weapon – an unfair advantage which many other swimmers do not have, and this will give you the edge.
The mind is so incredibly powerful that it even possesses the capability to overcome physical problems and achieve things which we would not normally consider possible. Many swimmers I have worked with over the years have actually won races whilst still recovering from severe illness or injury, and this will be the subject of your next tip. The mind is the world’s most powerful computer system, which can help us to win swimming races and achieve our times very easily if we will just allow it.
