The Olympic Journey to Paris. Part 1: Do you believe?

The reason I started this blog was to be present and engage with my coaching journey in a meaningful way. A big inspiration was to reflect on the process approaching  the 2024 Paris Olympics. So, I decided share these reflections in a this blog series, The Olympic Journey to Paris, where I’ll share some of the lessons, narratives, and challenges throughout this process. I will start by discussing the role of belief – how it drives our actions, shapes our experiences, and ultimately can define our success. 

The games are just a few short months away now. As I write, the swimmers I’ve been working with are at Olympic trials in Toronto, competing for an opportunity to represent their country on the Canadian national team. Some will be returning to the games for a second time, while others are looking to make their debut. It’s possible that some do not qualify, having to wait another four-year cycle for another opportunity (an Olympic quad in my world). 

Soccer is one of the first sports to qualify for the Olympics. Just over 2 years ago, we missed out on automatic qualification during World Cup qualifiers in 2022, losing 1-0 to the USA in the CONCACAF Final. The winners would automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics, while the second and third place teams would face off in a home and away fixture the following September in 2023. 

After a disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign that saw us exit in the group stages, the pressure was palpable with Olympic qualification hanging in the balance against immediately against a challenging side in Jamaica. The Reggae Girlz (what a fantastic name!) had just held Brazil and France to 0-0 draws in the group stages, helping them advance to the Round of 16 for the first time ever. With 53 days between our final World Cup match and the first leg of Olympic qualifiers, as a team, we had our work cut out for us.  

Considering that Canada won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and that this team has medalled at the past three Olympics – there is a certain pressure that comes with the potential and legacy of this team...Perhaps you too can feel that the weight of expectation is a real thing.  

But so is the heart of a champion. And that’s what this team is comprised of, winners at the highest level from Olympic gold medals to Champions league trophies. A collective group that believes in each other, from staff to players.  

After coming out strong to a 2-0 victory in Jamaica thanks to a new tactics and a ‘culture reset’, we came back to Toronto to finish the job. The stadium was sold out (just over 30 thousand fans), and the minute we arrived at the stadium I knew this was going to be a special moment. There were more fans to receive the players than I’ve ever seen, screaming and setting off flares (a personal first for me) – it meant so much to them. 

The crowd was so amazing that day that even after going down 1-0 to a cracking free kick, they would not be silenced amidst Jamaican celebrations. They believed, and so did we. We quickly clawed back to level it just before half, and once play resumed, scored again to take the lead. The way we responded was everything you wanted to see from our team – to rise to the challenge in a convincing way - with the heart of a champion on full display. 

In this Olympic Series, I want to bring forward some of the stories and moments that have inspired me as a coach and paint a picture of the process and work that goes into it – from my perspective. I’ve had the unique opportunity to work with top athletes in both team and individual sports, from swimming to soccer, from males to females, and from a daily training environment to competing internationally. Each step along the way has been a step towards this moment.  

Hopefully, I’ve painted a picture that qualifying for the Olympics is one of the most stress-inducing moments in an athlete’s (and coach’s) career. And that’s because it’s life changing. 

This past September, as I prepared for the start of an Olympic year (final year in a quad) with swimming I learned a valuable lesson from our performance scientist/coach Tom who’s an accomplished physiologist practitioner. The athletes need to believe.  

They don’t just need to believe in their ability; they need to believe in the work they’re doing, their teammates, and the staff who are supporting them. I think this is where the preparation process sort of begins. 

During our intakes the following week, where I would meet with athletes to discuss their season goals and reflect on the previous year, I asked a simple question after they stated their goals – do you believe you can make that happen? 

I can tell you something - you can’t fake having belief. And I think this extends to coaches; to really maximize an athlete’s potential, you must truly believe in them. 

Fast forward to four weeks before Olympic trials, just before starting our taper, we had an integrated support team meeting (this includes everyone supporting and working with the athletes). Can you guess what the main theme of this meeting would be? 

The mental side of sport is often talked about, but can quickly fall behind technical, tactical, and physical outcomes. Perhaps because it’s harder to measure? How can you accurately measure belief? I think it’s something you can see in a person’s eyes.  

For coaches, you know when it’s there. The best coaches I’ve been around consistently live out clear philosophies and principles, and as a result, capture the hearts and minds of their athletes. It’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it.

I think that a deeply rooted belief is what drives motivation. It’s what gets you through the valleys of the season, when the losses pile up, or your time isn’t quite where you want it to be. That’s when you’re supposed to believe in the process, right?  

I’m afraid I don’t have a clear answer for how to best instill belief in a person. From my observations, this is something that comes naturally to a subset of people, while others face a constant battle to find it within themselves. From personal experience, I believe it comes from stacking success from consistently showing up and doing the best you can. 

Belief can shape your experiences – I believe the inverse is also true, that your experiences can shape your belief.    

Improving your physical fitness can lead to a host of performance benefits – including your mental performance. You see, the wonderful thing about the gym is that you can find a way to win each day. I received this piece of wisdom from a mentor of mine, Ed McNeely. We were discussing my approach to the gym with the swimmers, then he said something that changed my training philosophy forever: 

“These athletes are training every day, sometimes twice a day, for an event that’s 4 years away. It’s not easy work either, it’s hard. Sometimes they have an off-day, or maybe they’re having an off week. In the gym, we have an opportunity for them to win each day, to get better by doing an extra rep, or adding an extra pound to their lifts. Sometimes doing the workout is a win on that day. I call these plus ones; they’re wins. Winning every day breeds a culture of success.”  

Reframing the value and purpose of the gym in this way has had a transformative approach in the way I coach. As a result, I can honestly say, one of the things I’m most proud of is how the athletes I’m working with approach the gym. They’ve embraced a mindset where every small victory is a step towards their ultimate goal, reinforcing their belief and commitment. 

While we have our sights set on qualifying and winning medals, the Olympic spirit is about more than that – it’s about achieving holistic excellence in mind, body and spirit. As we inch closer to the games, I’m reminded of this – and by reflecting and writing this blog series, it’s a chance for me to exercise my gratitude, refine my processes, and live out the Olympic spirit.  

Conclusion:

My journey to this point has been an exercise of belief since day 1. After Canada Soccer offered me an opportunity, I gave up a full-time role at a university with the hope of going to a World Cup and Olympic games. Swimming Canada, with their eyes set on the games, believed in me to support the high-performance center in Vancouver though I would be travelling with the women’s national team (conveniently major competitions lined up over summer months). 

In a serendipitous way, my journey is evidence that if you believe in yourself, and others do too, you can achieve what you set out to.