Focus and Concentration and Soaring Like an Eagle
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’ but one athlete competing at the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics will be testing the strength of the expression to its limits. Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong of Ghana will take part in the slalom as his country’s only qualifying athlete and the only black African skier.
Already known as the ‘Snow Leopard’ due to his trademark leopard-print ski kit, he’s going to be highly visible in Vancouver – even without the media frenzy that will no doubt surround him. In interviews, he’s made it quite clear that he doesn’t want to just ski down the mountain, he wants to be taken seriously as a competitor. With so much attention already focused on him and the eyes of the world preparing to watch his every move, how can he possibly maintain his own focus and concentration?
Who remembers Eddie the Eagle? In 1988, he soared like a brick in the Calgary winter Olympics to become infamous as a startlingly inept ski jumper. Eddie Edwards was able to arrive in Calgary as an unknown, but also uninteresting competitor. He was able to prepare for his event relatively undisturbed. Other than the fact he was British, there was nothing particularly unusual about him so he didn’t attract any media interest. It was only after he jumped – so spectacularly badly – that the media circus began.
Sadly, the Snow Leopard of Ghana will not share the luxury of being left in peace to prepare for his event when he arrives in Vancouver. He’s not there for the experience of taking part, he’s there to compete but until he gets the opportunity to get out on to the slopes and show the world what he can do, he will have to put up with reporters thrusting microphones in his face and asking: “who designs your ski togs: how are you coping with the climate; what’s your favourite colour?”
It could be argued that this sort of irritating attention will spur him on to achieving his ambition of being taken seriously as a skier but it could also be argued that the constant pressure of being in the media spotlight might prove to be so distracting that it prevents him from realising his full potential.
To be able to maintain his focus and concentration on the day will take considerable mental skill. He has qualified to compete so he has prepared physically but has he prepared mentally?
Without a positive mental attitude, self-belief, a well practiced self-talk script, and finely tuned visualisation skills, he may not get the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities.
He will be competing in an environment that is a million miles from his normal training environment. Even without the press attention, this will be the case for a great number of Olympic hopefuls. The key to success lies in preparation – mental and emotional preparation as well as physical preparation. There should be no surprises on the day.
How would you cope? Where would your head be? What’s worse – knowing that the world is waiting to see if you’re going to be another Eddie the Eagle, or actually being Eddie the Eagle and knowing that the world is waiting to be entertained by you as you once again take to the skies – briefly!
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