The pinnacle of most athletes’ career is often a championship title, MVP award, or perhaps a gold medal. For more than 11,000 athletes, that moment will begin this week as the 2021 Summer Olympic Opening Ceremonies kick off on Friday, July 23rd. This Friday is the beginning of two-weeks filled with festivities and competition that will transpire in Tokyo, Japan. 

Team USA will bring over 600 athletes to compete in a variety of events, some of the most popular being gymnastics, swimming, track and field, and soccer. Many of these participants have patiently waited an additional year to compete for their home country. When the Games were postponed in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, many competitors had to reevaluate their training and mindset to adapt to the change. In a year filled with postponements and cancellations, it is inspiring to see these athletes finally competing and displaying their long tribulations of commitment. I admire the perseverance these athletes had to prolong their training and wait another 365 days to participate on an Olympic team.  

As an avid follower of sports and college and professional athletics, I am an eager fan of the Olympic Games. It is always a joy to watch the best athletes complete on the world’s largest stage. There are probably several areas Olympians could educate the general public on, some of those including diet, exercise, strength training, and physical rehab. However, one aspect I think is most noteworthy of these top-tier competitors is the mindset and mental toughness they build and rehearse in order to compete and thrive at the highest level.  

Olympians have event coaches to train for the specifics of their sport, physical therapists who assist with proper recovery, and dietitians who help athletes appropriately fuel their body. Yet there are areas athletes themselves must have total control over: their mindset. 

The resilience, determination, and focus these individuals have is something we can all appreciate as they compete in front of the world. There are various avenues of mental health coaches, programs, and techniques these athletes utilize to assist with psychological preparation, but eventually it falls to the athlete to mentally prepare themselves.   

Consistency seems to be a common factor in most success stories. Continually showing up to improve, learn, and work is what sets individuals apart from each other. The athletes who will compete over the next few weeks have crafted a mindset that caters to their personal needs and encourages them to succeed. Although most Americans, including myself, will never compete or acquire the talent and ability it requires to compete at the Olympic Games, we can practice the intangible aspects of motivation and perseverance these Olympians possess. 

Mattie Rossi is the K-State Research & Extension Cottonwood District - Summer Intern.