Life Lessons to Know Before Your Athletic Career is Over
Walking away from a sport has positives and negatives. After placing 3rd at the 2016 US Olympic Team Trials, I went through an onslaught of emotions regarding my training and attitude towards my wrestling career. I was unsure if wrestling still had a place in my life, especially competing. I decided it was an opportune time to heal my injuries and start a family with my husband.
Competition had been my entire life since I was in high school, and through this break I received clarity and positive introspection. As an athlete training at the elite level, it’s important to maintain tunnel vision on your goals and needs on a daily basis. It’s the job of a coach to continue reminding the athlete to stay grounded in the bigger picture. I had never been in the position where I could look at my career as if from a coach’s perspective. From this vantage point, I was able to see how I was often rooted into one belief system about how I needed to train, think, and perform in order to be successful. In 2018, I began to look long and hard at what it would look like to return to a competitive career. Once I made the decision, I considered what I would do differently in order to achieve my goals and my dreams. I entered back into competition in January of 2019, and competed through Olympic Team Trials in April of 2021. Armed with the rare opportunity of seeing my career from a birds eye view, here are three lessons I integrated into my return as an elite athlete in order to shift my mindset and previous mental blocks:
Lesson 1: This is not a sacrifice
For the bulk of my elite level career (leading up to 2016), I felt as if I was missing out when I saw others doing activities I knew I was too tired to do, too busy training to partake in, or would require too much risk of injury to participate. It seemed as if everyone else had a choice, and I had “no choice” but to “sacrifice” for my dreams. I believed I was sacrificing job opportunities while everyone else in the workforce would be ahead of me. I was sacrificing time away from my family, I was sacrificing fun time, but still believed that structuring my life around “sacrifice” would lead me to success. I thought life must be easier without all the physical and emotional challenges of training. It seemed like everyone else was free of these types of feelings, and I had chosen a much harder path in life. Now, I recognize I had and still have SO many choices when it comes to building a life I desire around training.
When I stepped away from sport, I quickly realized non-athlete life provided as many challenges and as many emotional rollercoasters. I started working on LuchaFIT in 2016, and dove into it’s development in 2017 and 2018. Starting a business was a unique space to be in. I felt alone, inexperienced, and completely out of my league. I had also become a mom, and I was navigating how I would achieve goals in my business while I was raising a newborn. I was starting at ground zero and I was uncomfortable.
The discussions to return to sport were gradual and emotional. The choice to compete had to positively affect myself, my family, and my goals. We now had a little one in the picture – where would he go when I trained? When we decided that I would move forward, void of a solid training situation, I was forced to acknowledge the decision I was making. I was choosing to train full time, to leave my family to travel, to be exhausted and be okay when the laundry wasn’t done and the kitchen was a mess. I am fortunate that I am supported by my family to train full time for my goal of becoming an Olympic Champion. Recognizing the positivity of my situation freed me from being in two different worlds at the same time. I made the decision to be 100% invested in my goal to return to competition. This allowed me to dive deeper into my training than ever before.
Lesson 2: I will not shy away from my ultimate goal
I was afraid of what others would think if I told the world I wanted to be an Olympic Champion. What if someone laughed and told me “You’re not there yet,” or “you think you can do it?” or gave a look of disbelief? Whether that would have shattered me or not, I couldn't tell you. All I know is I sheltered myself from that possible pain by never talking about it. My goals were obvious, right? I used to think it was braggadocios to talk about what you planned on becoming. I had a hard time bridging the gap between how to be outspoken and confident, and how to be authentically me. I didn’t know if I could do both, it felt self indulgent.
Taking time off and then returning to sport, I realized that NO ONE knows my goals. I would still get asked, one year out from the Olympics, “so, what’s the ultimate goal here?” People are excited to hear what you want to create for yourself. And what do your athlete peers think? They are just as worried about how they appear to others. I’m sure it would be refreshing and inspiring if you were honest about your goals and intentions.
When you are clear about your goals, you don’t have a reason to diverge. It gives you the opportunity to surround yourself with people who are excited to help you achieve those goals. I have a goal of being open and vocal about my journey to others, especially here on LuchaFIT. If I can’t be honest with my community, how can I be honest with myself? Ask yourself, “how can I become even more zeroed in on my goal each day?” Most athletes are only willing to reach for the lowest hanging fruit. It takes bravery and outspokenness to dream beyond. Challenge yourself and your instincts – instead of always training in a way that feels safe, how can you ramp up your training in the moments where the most focus is required? Use the team around you, those who know your ultimate goals, to hold you accountable and to keep you grounded during the journey.
Lesson 3: Growth mindset
PHOTO BY TONY ROTUNDO - FINAL X, JUNE 2019
I have always known I am a coachable athlete. My father raised and encouraged me to learn from every coach I was exposed to. However, I held very tightly onto the training system I had emerged from. From that lens, I filtered all information I heard from anyone outside of my bubble. I was rigid about what I believed was “right” or “wrong” training. This was very limiting to my growth. Often we are guarded from a truth about ourselves that seems too painful to expose. When we become more in tune with our strengths and weaknesses, acceptance becomes less painful and instead we grow.
I recognized that I had already been a successful athlete, but I didn’t reach all of my biggest goals. At some point I was getting in my own way, but how could I insert change? I had to shift my subconscious and address core beliefs. For example, in the past I was very hard nosed about the technique I believed was “right” for me, and was resistant to suggestions outside of what felt comfortable. With the help of new coaches, I became 100% clear on the type of effort, deep focus, and time put into training. I became open to technical suggestions, types of movement, and new wrestling strategies. I believe this accelerated my training and helped me go from 2.5 years off the competition mat, to the #2 spot in the country in 8 months.
Katherine’s suggestions for having a growth mindset:
Recognize and learn how to be aware of your visceral reactions to suggestions. There is always a deeper understanding to those feelings. Address the root of the problem and it will help you shift your perspective on training and life.
Build a team around you who you can trust, who honor and support your goals, and who give you honest feedback that makes you uncomfortable. When you are uncomfortable, you either grow or you stay stagnant.
Keep reading, listening, and watching experts who have been in your position. Give yourself opportunities to learn how to elevate your mental perspective.
