The triathlon made its debut on the Summer Olympic program at the Sydney Games in 2000 (swim: 1.5 km - bike: 40 km - run: 10 km). American Susan Williams competed in the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She placed third with an impressive total time of 2:05:08.
Susan is presently the only U.S. triathlete to earn a spot on the Olympic podium in the sport. In this exclusive interview with Susan, you will gain powerful insights into the psychological approach of a world-class athlete. Specifically, you will learn her mental approaches to practice and competition, her views on dealing with pain, and much more. Here's my interview with Susan:
JIM: Can you describe how you mentally prepared for the Olympics?
SUSAN: In training for the Olympics, I gave it everything I had each day. As my coach would say "leave no stone unturned". So that is how I approached it. Then, when it came to race day, I told myself to just go out and just do my best. That is all that could be asked of me. That certainly takes the pressure off to perform a certain way. My coach also reminded me to just treat it as any other race, which I of course had done many of over the years. No big deal!
JIM: Can you describe your mindset while competing at the 2004 Athens Olympics?
SUSAN: So when I was out there racing, I just tried my best each second of the race. Even with the crash on the bike, I got back up, got on my bike, and continued to do my best.
JIM: What is the greatest challenge you have overcome in your sport, and how did you overcome?
SUSAN: On the physical side, I got a Pulmonary Embolism in the late 90's while training for the 2000 Olympic Trials. This was an eye opener as to how blessed I am every day to just be able to swim, bike and run. I was on a blood thinner for a while, so could not train as planned, but within 6 months was back on track. On the mental side, it was just overcoming the lack of confidence others had in my ability to make the Olympic Team. Of course not my husband's or coach's or friends', but the media and other coaches. At World Champs in 2002, one of the top female's coaches told me right to my face that I couldn't make the Olympic Team because I couldn't swim with the front group. Wow, talk about fueling my fire! And that is just how I used the negative feedback that I would receive.
JIM: What mental strategy do you use for moving through (non-injury) pain while training or competing?
SUSAN: From a background in swimming, I knew that you get better by working hard. In training, I wouldn't hold back because I wanted to be the best I could be. In competition, I wanted to walk away from the race knowing that I did my very best. If I backed down, I knew that I would feel very unsatisfied with the race and be very down on myself.
JIM: How did the Olympics compare to your initial expectations?
SUSAN: The race itself was truly a dream; I could not have hoped for any better. The entire Olympic experience, well, maybe not up to my expectations. But I feel that was the consequence of treating the Olympics like any other race. So I performed well, yet didn't experience all the Olympic hype. A trade off that I was happy to make.
JIM: What is the best advice you received that helped you excel in your sport?
SUSAN: I received so much help from many coaches, starting with my first swim coach when I was 9, that it is hard to know what advice really helped the most. But when I look back, I think the best quote would be from my coach leading into the Olympics, Siri Lindley, "Leave no stone unturned!"
JIM: Can you discuss your current coaching work in helping others to reach peak performance?
SUSAN: I started my own coaching business just after the Olympics, Commitment to Excellence Coaching. I worked with athletes from their 20's to 60's, from Sprint Distance to IM and it was a joy to take what I had learned after 11 years of racing to help them become better athletes and healthier people. Then in 2009, I joined forces with an amazing coach, Bob Seebohar, to form Elite Multisport Coaching. We continue to help people improve their health and performance offering many services. I also started an EMC Age Group Triathlon team that has grown to over 20 athletes that train and race together in a very supportive, and at times enjoyably competitive, environment.
If you are looking for expert triathlon coaching, or more information about Susan, please contact Susan through www.teamemc.com or her website www.c2ecoaching.com
