How to be Mentally Tough
How to be Mentally Tough
By Olivier Poirier-Leroy//Contributor
Mental toughness.
It’s something we always use to ascribe the top swimmers who surround us. They are the ones that are unflinching in the face of pressure in big moments. And they are the ones who are there at the end of practice, hammering down with full effort and full focus as other swimmers fall off the pace and intensity.
It’s one of those traits that we imagine is innate and natural. And while some swimmers seem to come by it earlier and with ease, mental toughness is something we can all work on.
It is a skill, a muscle that can be trained and improved.
Why does mental toughness matter?
It dictates whether we follow through with something. It’s the thing that decides whether we do the main set properly.
When viewed in the context of our swim practices, mental toughness is a huge driver of results, creating massive influence on how well we perform when it comes to race time.
But where to start? How do we fashion ourselves a mentally tough athlete?
Here are three ideas for becoming a mentally grittier swimmer...
