Every four years, the world stops to admire the skill, passion and dedication of the best athletes on the planet. This time, thanks to social media, the figures, news and anecdotes are within everyone’s reach. The Olympic Games are much more than a sporting competition; they are a microcosm of the human experience.where our emotions, our mentality and our physicality are expressed to the fullest. At Paris 2024, we have witnessed sporting feats that have left us breathless, but also personal stories that have moved us deeply.
Therefore, beyond the medals and records, The Olympic Games offer us a valuable opportunity to reflect on ourselves and the potential we carry within. What can we learn from these elite athletes? How can we apply their experiences to our own lives? At first it may seem like a long distance, but they can be a great inspiration for our daily lives, since emotions, thoughts, perseverance and resilience play a fundamental role in achieving results, both in sport and in any other area of life.
Today, athletes develop their careers accompanied by professionals from different disciplines such as sports psychology, ontological coaching, Mindfulness, meditation, among others, which complement their physical training.
It is now common to talk about and train people in emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions, as well as those of others. In sport as in life, this ability is reflected in:
- Better decision making: An athlete with high emotional intelligence is able to analyze a situation, evaluate their options and make the best decision, even under pressure.
- Greater resilience: The ability to recover from failures and adapt to changes is essential while maintaining a positive and learning attitude.
- Better interpersonal relationships: Sport is a team effort. Emotional intelligence facilitates communication, collaboration and building strong relationships with teammates, coaches and other team members.
- Greater concentration: By controlling negative emotions such as anxiety or anger, athletes can better concentrate on their performance and achieve a state of “flow.”
- Greater motivation: Emotional intelligence allows athletes to maintain intrinsic motivation, that is, to find satisfaction in the training and competition process itself, beyond external results.
How can we bring these skills into our lives? What would our results and emotions be like?
First of all, it is worth saying that these skills are not innate. It has nothing to do with the saying “you are either born with them or you are not born with them.” On the contrary, they are learned, developed, and perfected. To this end, there are various professionals in both the world of sports and life who play a fundamental role in the development of emotional intelligence.
In the case of ontological coaches, through inquiry they can discover those emotions, beliefs and internal conversations that can hinder an optimal state of performance. They provide specific tools and techniques for emotional management, such as relaxation, visualization, and problem-solving. They work to create a safe and positive training environment where athletes feel comfortable expressing their emotions and learning to channel them constructively. Through individual and group sessions, these professionals help athletes develop skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, and empathy, allowing them to face challenges.
Cristian Rosso, multiple medallist in the Pan American Games in rowing, who also participated in the London 2012 Olympic Games, is now an ontological coach, and explains how emotional intelligence can have a positive impact both in high-performance sport and in life: “You have to prepare yourself and do everything you think you can. But without forgetting that you have to be aware that success does not depend on a final result, but on how you live day to day, doing what you choose and that a result does not invalidate the whole process.”
The legacy of athletes: pure inspiration
During these two weeks, Olympic athletes teach us that success is not only measured in medals, but also in the ability to overcome our own limits, manage our emotions and find the inner strength to continue forward, even in the most difficult moments.
The perseverance of an athlete who has overcome an injury, the joy of a team that has achieved a common goal or the bravery of someone who has had the courage to leave their comfort zone. All photos that inspire us to apply them, through resilience, determination and passion, in our different areas: work, personal relationships or in our personal projects.
We all have a champion inside us. We just need to believe in ourselves and work to achieve our goals.Just like elite athletes, we can learn to manage our emotions, overcome our fears and find the strength to keep going, no matter what obstacles we encounter along the way.
Master coach, psychologist and Vice President of the AACOP
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
