Regan Smith will be competing for the second time. Summer Olympics Hopefully, a renewed mindset will help the 22-year-old American swimmer win his first Olympic gold medal next month.
Smith won medals in three individual events on his trip to Paris. U.S. Olympic Team Trials She broke the world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke at the final last month in Indianapolis, reclaiming her first title since breaking it in 2019 as a 17-year-old.
Regan Smith competes in the women’s 200-meter butterfly during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 19, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Speaking after the event, Smith said it was “a long time coming” and that over the last few years the Olympic medallist had struggled with the mental aspect of the sport, which had prevented him from achieving the same success as he did five years ago.
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However, there has been a change in Smith’s approach, as she now aims for gold medals in the women’s 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Smith said: mental health Journey.
“For a long time, I was blinded by the stigma around mental health. I didn’t want to go to a sports psychologist or talk about it. I thought it was them who were weak, or I was weak. So I tried to ignore the feelings I was having by internalising them, but they got worse and I exploded. And I had a really tough few years as an athlete.”
But one day, things changed.
“I faced reality and looked in the mirror and thought, ‘It’s not weak to accept help. Why not just talk to someone and see what happens?'”
Regan Smith is photographed after the women’s 100-meter backstroke semifinal during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 17, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Maddy Meyer/Getty Images)
So Smith began searching for a sports psychologist who she felt would be a good fit, and in October she met Emily Crews.
“She’s totally taken my swimming to the next level,” Smith said.
Olympic medalist Regan Smith proudly dons USA Swimming cap for Paris Games: ‘I’m so proud to be an American’
Crews was a swimmer in college. Michigan She swam for the national team for 10 years. In 2023, she became USA Swimming’s manager of mental and emotional wellness. Smith praised Crews’ fact-based, logical approach to the sport, which he believes has helped turn around her performance in the pool.
“The thing she always says to me, which is kind of like a mantra for me, she just says, ‘Look at the facts of the situation,’ and that was such an eye-opener for me because I feel like as an athlete, as a swimmer, I can look at things through a very emotional lens. And I think that’s where the tension comes from. And that ultimately leads us to choke and, quite frankly, not being able to perform at our ability level.”
“She’s done such a great job of simplifying everything for me. It may sound silly, but when things are simplified, it’s so much easier to swim fast and perform something that you can be proud of. I didn’t know how I could do that until she came into my life,” she continued. “So I’m so grateful and I think now I can look at swimming with excitement instead of anxiety. I think excitement and anxiety go hand in hand, but it can be very hard to separate the two. I never was able to do that until I started practicing with her.”
Smith also talked about another factor that has improved her mental game.
Regan Smith reacts after setting a world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke final at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 18, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Maddy Meyer/Getty Images)
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Speaking to Fox News Digital on behalf of pet nutrition brand Nouro, Smith said she adopted a cat named Lou from an animal shelter in Arizona during a difficult time in her training this year when Lou fell ill and was forced to stop training just months before the Olympic Trials.
“I was so depressed. I was like, ‘This is an Olympic year and I’m sitting on my couch, exhausted trying to go grocery shopping. How am I going to make it to the Olympics this summer? I’m hopeless. I don’t know what to do.'”
At the time, her family and sports psychologist Emotional support animals Might be a good solution.
“She’s such a sweet person and she got me through some tough times. She was such a great support system. When I was still recovering, I would come home from practice in tears because I just wanted to get back.” [at] When I reached a level of training, she greeted me at the door.”
Nuro has partnered with eight athletes, including Olympians Simone Biles and Caleb Dressel, as part of its “Fuel Incredible” campaign, which aims to highlight the connection between top athletes and their pets.
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