Mind matters: Seven habits of highly effective swimmers

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Aug 1999 by Davis, Byron

This is the third of seven articles featuring interviews with champions. Each article will look at different habits that have made these swimmers champions. Develop these habits, and you will be a champion, too! This month's champion is Lea Maurer, who talks about "faith:' Lea, 28, who swims for Badger Swim Club and graduated from Stanford in 1994, won the gold medal in the 100 meter back at the 1998 World Championships in Perth, Australia. She's the American record holder in the event with a 1:00.77 and an Olympic gold medalist from 1992 at Barcelona (400 medley relay). The

Magnificent Seven 1. Focus

Tie your beliefs and actions together.

2. Persistence

Big things will happen when you do the little things right,

3. Faith.

Where do you place your trust? Is your faith in the right place?

4. Blue-sky Thinking

The more you expect from yourself. the greater you perform.

5. Discipline

Expect a payoff for delayed gratification.

6. Fun

Free yourself to swim fast.

7. Confidence

Be willing to deliver your best when your best is needed.

Habit #3: Faith

Byron: Lea, how important is faith to you?

Lea: Byron, faith is very important to me, but I didn't really understand it when I was younger. My mom always prayed that the best would happen for me, and she had faith in the fact that whatever happened, it was for the best at that time. While that is kinda hard to embrace when things go wrongespecially in '96--it's important to realize that there is always something good that comes out of your experience.

Byron: What is faith to you?

Lea: Faith is acknowledging your ability and strength...and the fact that whatever the result is...it's good. You gain something out of it that adds to who you are as a person.

Byron: How did the disappointing experience of the '96 Olympic Trials test your faith?

Lea: '96 redefined "bad meet" for me! I put a lot of confidence in my training up to that point...I worked harder than ever, did everything by the book...I just knew I was ready...yet I swam two seconds off my best time. And you know, people don't always say the nicest things to you during those times...I had people coming up to me saying, "Well, Lea, you know this means it's time to move on. It's time to get a real job." Even when things got better-for instance, making the World Championships team the next year-it seemed like I had to justify my reasons for swimming. I've come to realize that you don't have to justify your reasons for swimming. If you swim-or do anything, for that matterto gain other people's approval, then you are placing your life in their hands. Swimming is a personal decision. I'm doing this for myself. I love the sport. I love what it gives me. It's good to listen to other people, but stick to your own values.

Byron: What do you have faith in? Lea: I've learned to place faith in what God has given me. I realize my talent, and I've come to believe in myself and the balance in my life.

Byron:How do you go about developing that kind of faith?

Lea: I think, for me, it changes every year. I am constantly learning new things about myself as I continue to grow. As you learn and explore, you add to your faith.

Byron: Is faith different than belief to you?

Lea: Yes! Faith is much stronger. It's embracing the unknown. It's the difference between hoping that something will happen and knowing in your heart that it will. You might not be able to explain it all the time...it's just feeling comfortable in knowing that the outcome will be good. Belief comes and goes. Faith does not.

Byron: What advice would you give to young swimmers who might be dealing with some type of challenge right now?

Lea: First, remember that this is just a sport. Enjoy it. Have fun with it. Learn from it. Pat yourself on the back when you do something good or learn something new. Celebrate the small victories. And dream big! You know,

Byron, I'm seeing a lot of young people giving up too soon.

Byron: How so?

Lea: They think disappointment means that they must give up. When things don't work out as they planned, they quit and go do something else. I'm afraid that kids think it's wrong to fail; so to avoid failure, they just don't stick to anything. Their level of disappointment is too high. I never won a national title until after I made the Olympic team! You gotta celebrate the effort and have faith that everything will work out!

Faith is nothing more than where you decide to place your trust. Trust irc in your God-given ability. Understand that on your journey, there will be some bad times as well as good. But remember: while it's true that the road to greatness is steep, the very fact that you have taken the first step testifies that you have what it takes to finish the climb. Just have faith!