Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on her fear of failure

Note: This article first appeared on RTL.de

She’s on the move again: RTL reached Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on the way to the “Sportswoman of the Year 2024” gala. Another honor and another appointment that reminds you of what you have achieved. Double Olympic champion. The medals and fame are only a small part of the success. Because success requires enormous effort!

Von Bredow-Werndl says: “I was incredibly exhausted after Paris and had no energy left. It took me until December to get my everyday life back to some extent.” An aspect that, in their view, is underestimated. She says: “People think that I’m floating on a cloud as an Olympic champion. But actually it’s a challenge to find my way back to my everyday life.”

Something she has experienced before: After her first major gold success at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, she fell into a kind of “post-Olympic depression.” She explains: “I felt really bad then. Now that probably protected me from the fact that it wasn’t like that this time. Nevertheless, I was and am exhausted and didn’t manage to be on cloud nine. All I really wanted to do after that was “Be at home with my children and the horses.” And further: “People often underestimate the fact that as an athlete you no longer have the strength for big emotions. You are just empty. I think I still haven’t really realized that I will be a double Olympic champion again I have become.”

Another aspect is pressure and fear. The expectations were enormous before the Olympics – she was unbeaten for three years. A record that has made her the absolute top favorite. “I didn’t even read all the articles that said gold was expected,” she says. And yet she cannot completely escape the confrontation with it.

Example: “I was at another sports award last year and suddenly someone said to me very carelessly on stage and into the microphone: “We’re expecting double gold.” She manages it. At the same time, she emphasizes how “difficult” it was.

“Of course I have a fear of failure. I think every athlete has that. You wake up in the morning in Paris and are afraid of making mistakes at the crucial moment.” She has now learned to deal with this fear and see something positive in it. “If I weren’t afraid, I wouldn’t care what happened. At the same time, the fear and adrenaline can bring me into an insanely focused state.”

She has been working on mental strength and personality development for years and also works with coaches in order to be able to deal with both better. So she has certain “tools”, such as meditations and breathing exercises, that she does before the competition. And she does this before she goes to her horse. “The horse reflects me. That’s why it’s important for me to do my exercises beforehand in order to reach an optimal level of activation.”

It’s been a little over four months since her second double Olympic victory. Christmas is just around the corner. The time of contemplation. And von Bredow-Werndl can now breathe easy again. “I have found myself again and have arrived back in my life. And of course I am very grateful for everything I was able to experience this year.”