Developing Your Judo #18
Tbilisi (part 2)
In 1975, I experienced what I would consider a peak performance, a state of consciousness where the mind and body work effortlessly together to produce an optimal performance.
This special state escapes many athletes and most of the time, it occurs by chance and is very hard to replicate. However, optimal performance is not limited to competitions. It can occur when setting a personal best, at training clinics or during a morning workout.
However, the feelings that emanate from an optimal experience are some of the most intense and memorable that we can experience as athletes. They remain engraved in our minds, and can provide the means to return this state. In my case, I was able to overcome my debilitating case of nerves. I was optimistic that I would do well, but at the same time, I was not concerned about the outcome. Here's a quote from a 2000 Olympics gold medalist in swimming:
"For some reason at the Olympics, I said, OK, I'm not going to try to control this. I'm going to allow it to happen. So I walked in there and just relaxed, and said OK, I can do this... things would just happen naturally." In Tbilisi, that's exactly what happened.
By: Rainer Fischer (Canadian Olympian)
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