Olivia Smoliga.Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP
While chatting with PEOPLE about the upcoming sporting event and what it could look like amid the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic, the 26-year-old swimmer spoke candidly about the likelihood thatoverseas fans will not be allowed to attend.
Recalling several meets that she took part in over the past year that did not allow crowds, including one in San Antonio, Texas, and another in Budapest, Hungary, Smoliga tells PEOPLE, “We didn’t have fans there either, and yet we still hyped each other up.”
“Records were broken, people were going fast and having a really good time. I think that’s just a testament to how much racing, or competing in general across any sport, how much it means to the athlete,” she continues. “And even if there aren’t fans, you’re still are going to do what you love to do because training is all that you put together just so you can compete.”
Becca Wyant
“It would hopefully be my second time around,” she says. “[I’d have] a little more experience under my belt, kind of knowing what to expect, because it is a really awesome experience.”
Mike Lewis
“I was fine with the decision [and] fine with everything happening, everyone’s in the same boat, there’s so much out of my control so you have to really go with the flow to the best of your ability — and I felt that I did that pretty well — but there were moments like at practice … where you find yourself kind of drifting in thought, like, ‘This is really tough. What will happen next year?'” she says. “A lot of thoughts that you never thought of in your whole life.”
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The swimmer — who specializes in backstroke and freestyle events — turned to a more uplifting approach to get through the postponement, focusing on the positive in her life instead of the negative.
Crediting a meditation app with keeping her balanced, alongside eating right and sleeping well, Smoliga tells PEOPLE, “I feel like we’ve been conditioned a certain way our whole lives.”
“We think a negative thought [and then] nine times out of 10, even more negative thoughts pop into our head. You maybe could catch yourself kind of slipping or spiraling if something isn’t going your way, and I’ve definitely been there before,” she continues. “But it’s something so special.”
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“Positive affirmations every morning when you wake up, setting your intention for the day, things like that, when you put a definition to it, it makes it tangible,” she tells PEOPLE.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer on NBC.
source: people.com
