The arduous chopping and grinding that has molded Olympians into shape may be over, but now the heat is being turned up. It’s an intense process that takes intuition, passion, technique, and persistent, but slight, adaptations to extract the last remaining drops of excellence from us. This is our final preparation.
The massive 30x100m sets thrown at us in the beginning have peeled away the unwanted layers, priming us for the imminent refining process. Getting to this level is not about the how, it’s about the why, because when the purpose is greater than the pain, anything is possible.
Most of what we do now is technique-driven, focusing on efficiency: every stroke we make needs to take us further faster and with less energy. Little surprises start popping up as we begin to see our times getting faster and we are constantly comparing the most recent race to the previous one. I’m still about five seconds off my world record time of 2.04.81 and if I am to get anywhere close to that again, every stroke, kick, and turn needs to be perfect. This process can be frustrating due to the continual failures but also the most rewarding, because when we add the perfect touch at the right time, we create magic. We can’t go through those enormous sets again as we need to focus – so our sets are condensed to somewhere around 8x100m. This allows every set to be scrutinized, consistently testing and adding pinches of change to get the perfect form.
The testing and competitions we go through are essential in bringing our bubbling nerves to a simmer. Our minds become clearer as the sensory impact of these ‘good nerves’ help sustain our focus. Overthinking is an unnecessary energy that can cloud our mind and create the potential for our nerves to boil over. “Did I do everything in my control,” is a common question among athletes and I came up with a method that uses four basic, yet not-so-easy, rules to follow: never skip practice; arrive early; do what the coach tells me; and leave late.
I have often been jeered and laughed at because this is the behavior of a ‘teacher’s pet’. I have learned to make sure that any noise like this dies down in the last few months of training. I become selfish. This is my time to marinate. A time when the perfect balance of everything we have worked on begins to slowly release and all the goodness needs to rise to the surface. Any major changes, pointless additions or negative stimulus will have an adverse effect on just how good this will be. The little surprises we start seeing elevate our confidence, clearing our mind from any negativity. Then it arrives, the time to trust that we’ll be rewarded for all the sweat we’ve poured into our work.
Every day has been about focusing on the Olympics but now, the night before an event, is the longest night; our thoughts begin to stir and the ‘bad nerves’ can set in. Athletes are extremely self-critical and we can generally handle this internal pressure. Tomorrow is different. We are about to be judged by the world. This external pressure is internally motivated and can allow self-doubt to build up. Athletes need to find a way of letting off steam: my coach has a list of jokes at hand and we talk a lot about nothing.
I don’t need an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning, an inner timer lets me know I am ready. We have breakfast. I’m not thinking about that. We get on the bus that takes us to the pool. I’m not thinking about that either. I know my coach is telling me jokes because we are both laughing. I know I need to walk to the starting blocks because an official escorts me there. I know the spectators are loud because I can see their excitement. I know I’m supposed to wave to them because they will be announcing my name. I hear nothing. My body instinctively explodes forward on the sound of the starter. I hear a single voice now. It’s the voice of my coach encouraging me forward, driving me harder and pushing me faster than I have ever been. This is when it all comes together, all the hard work, long hours, and tedious workouts. This is the moment when I can finally share my efforts with my friends, family and fans.

The Last Length To The Olympics  – Nerves, Jokes and Pain

A woman in a boardroom often needs to work twice as hard as a man; and it also means conveying the right intent and tone, and paying attention to the finer details, body language being one of them.
“Within our very patriarchal history, the boardroom is still very much a man-cave, where the few women who have dared to ‘trespass’ constantly navigate both the written and unwritten man-cave code,” says Khosi Jiyane, a clinical psychologist and corporate training facilitator in Johannesburg.
In order to survive, some women have felt the need to man-up, as currency for being seen and treated as one of the boys, which she says has resulted in some men feeling threatened, while some fellow women see it as a “betrayal of femininity”.
Thrown into this mix are gender and cultural pitfalls that can be effectively countered if the female executive is aware of her body language.
Being attentive is a key aspect according to Durban psychologist Claire Newton who says: “Be sure to sit right up at the table and lean in over the edge slightly. Put your hands and arms on the table. Have a notebook and pen to take notes, but never fiddle with your pen. Don’t take notes on your lap if there’s a table in front of you, this forces you to move away from the action. Women tend to do this a lot. Men don’t.”
“Also ensure you have an open posture, meaning you don’t block the front of your body in any way. Blocking off the front of your body makes you feel safer (which is why you do it), but other people get the message you are insecure and unapproachable,” says industrial psychologist Brian Jude who has been in the communication training industry for 35 years. He says it’s important to stay true to your own personality in the boardroom.
“More aggressive people tend to take up space, with quieter people taking up less space. With any kind of boardroom activity, stay in your comfort zone,” says Jude, adding that women generally feel more comfortable crossing their legs or ankles, but that the ‘figure four cross’ or loose leg cross should be avoided as it is perceived to be aggressive.
“Keep your hands and arms parallel to the body as much as possible. You can use your hands in natural gestures, such as open palms, but avoid any form of finger pointing, which is seen as aggressive.”
He adds that the ‘match and mirror’ technique in body language must be subtle.
“As the other person changes body position, count to four and then change your own position to match. If there is gentle eye contact, maintain the same behavior. This can create an enormous connection, but not if it’s overdone. If you do it too quickly, it is interpreted as mocking behavior,” says Jude.
And while it may be daunting to enter the man cave, never use flirtatious techniques.
“Women are used to flirting and may tend to try and use this in what is still a predominantly male environment. Clothes must be conservative and neutral, with no overt jewelry. Maintaining a professional demeanour says ‘take me seriously’,” says Jude.
Carry handbags, tablets, or files at your side and not in front of your body;
Be aware of nervous habits – don’t fiddle with hands or hair;
Good eye contact shows you are listening, but do not hold eye contact to the point of being either uncomfortable or threatening;
Avoid sitting in the chair next to the door – if you are speaking when someone enters, you lose your message;
Pushing your sleeves up slightly and putting your arms on the table shows you are serious about what is happening in a meeting;
Be aware of your facial expression at all times.

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The Last Length To The Olympics – Nerves, Jokes and Pain

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