{"id":250839,"date":"2024-08-03T09:30:05","date_gmt":"2024-08-03T09:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/03\/simone-biles-on-how-to-get-into-a-champions-mindset\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:13:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:13:14","slug":"simone-biles-on-how-to-get-into-a-champions-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/03\/simone-biles-on-how-to-get-into-a-champions-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Simone Biles on how to get into a champion’s mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Simone Biles<\/a> is the most decorated Olympic gymnast in history. The \u201cGOAT<\/a>,\u201d as she has been dubbed, led the 2024 U.S. Olympic team to all-around gold and secured her 9th gold medal in the individual all-around competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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While some may argue that Olympians are just built differently both physically and mentally<\/a>, there are some mindset tricks that Biles has honed over the years that have helped launch her success. It turns out, there are strategies we all can take away from the gymnastics legend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about mental training,\u201d Biles says in her MasterClass <\/a>on gymnastics fundamentals, overcoming fear, and goal setting. For those pursuing greatness in any field, she offers this reminder: \u201cYou can do this. Have confidence, and think back to everything you\u2019ve done in training for this moment now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are 10 key takeaways to help you emulate Biles\u2019 Olympic mindset:\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Show up 10 minutes early\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Showing up early doesn\u2019t just look good to the coaches, it\u2019s also a way to show up for yourself and your potential, Biles says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number one thing you can do is make sure you show up to practice on time or at least 10 minutes early so that once you go into your gymnastics space, you\u2019re not running all over the place, giving your coaches excuses as to why you\u2019re late,\u201d she says. \u201cGive yourself enough time to clear your head.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Taking care of your mind and body is essential to showing up ready to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscipline goes a long way, especially in the sport of gymnastics, but it means showing up to practice on time, taking every turn that you do into consideration, fueling your body to the best \u2026 going to bed at a reasonable time,\u201d Biles says in the class. \u201cI still make sure on the weekends I don\u2019t get too crazy so that on Monday, I am ready and refueled to go for the rest of the week.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Count when you\u2019re nervous\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whatever skill you\u2019re learning, Biles reminds you to put it into perspective. Her coach once said that she only needed to be on the beam for one minute and 30 seconds. During that time, she needed to give it her all\u2014but only during that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne minute and 30 is not that long, but it can feel like forever when you\u2019re up there. Sometimes if I\u2019m having trouble focusing in on something, I try to count my steps through it, so it kind of gives me a distraction but I\u2019m still focused on what I\u2019m doing,\u201d Bile says in the class. And when the time is up, \u201cGet off. Breathe, and then do whatever I want to do again.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Pivot when in a rut\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to take a beat when things aren\u2019t going as planned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually just talk to my coaches and be like, \u2018This isn\u2019t working. Can I move on and try to come back to it? So I\u2019m not stuck in the same rut over and over and that gets you more frustrated,\u201d Biles says. \u201cI usually try to move on and come back \u2026 It\u2019s ok to get stuck.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

And if the skill isn\u2019t working on round two, Biles asks her coaches to break it down another way or get spotting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Find humor in the stress<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n

As the saying goes, sometimes it\u2019s just not that deep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Biles tells herself, \u201cI\u2019m going to do this 100 more times. I know I can fix this.\u201d she says. \u201cI try to remind myself that it\u2019s not the end of the world. There will be tomorrow. There will be the next practice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Jamie Squire via Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

5. Some fear is ok\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you weren\u2019t nervous about something you trained hours on end for, that would be worrisome, Biles says. Some nervous energy is good and can propel us. However, calming down fear and more heightened stress is crucial for peak performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about mental training so once you step onto the competition floor you can replicate those routines,\u201d Biles says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Biles, who admits to hating fear, feels scared, she counts to three and then just \u201cchucks\u201d herself. \u201cIt almost puts a block in your track of what you\u2019re trying to do,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Biles also credits her sports psychologist, watching videos of herself performing well, and asking her coaches to go back to the basics for a moment with helping calm her fear. And, she listens to hype music before a competition, which is always the most nerve-racking part.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I\u2019m in the venue, my nerves go away because I am finally there. This is the moment I\u2019ve been training for,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce I salute, I\u2019m in control of everything that\u2019s going to happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. Visualize your goal\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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If you ever see athletes getting their game faces on, it\u2019s not for nothing. Biles swears by visualizing her routine before she sets out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go through every skill in my head, exactly what I\u2019m going to do, so that I can perform it to the best of my ability,\u201d she says in the class.\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. Don\u2019t forget to fake it\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The saying, fake it until you make it, has validity. Biles recalls being asked by a coach years back to smile during her routine. She didn\u2019t feel confident, so it took her 30 minutes to fake a smile. Since then, she\u2019s realized the power of emulating how you want to show up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI found that if I\u2019m smiling, I\u2019m having more fun and I\u2019m being more confident in my routine. I\u2019m not thinking as much,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. Increase intensity at intervals\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sweeping changes can cause anyone to panic. As Biles advanced in her sport, she recalls going from practicing in the gym 20 hours a week to 24, 28, and then 32.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a huge evolution, but you had to go little by little. It was never huge advanced changes,\u201d Biles recalls, which can apply to anyone going up weights at the gym or increasing mileage on a run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

9. Writes down goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

High-level athletes often write down their goals as a way to cement them and hold themselves accountable. Suni Lee<\/a>, who won the bronze individual all-around metal in Paris alongside Biles, swears by journaling five pages before competitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the MasterClass, Biles says she writes down all of her short term and long-term goals for the season ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at your overall goal package, it can get stressful and overwhelming, so that\u2019s why I split it into the two,\u201d she says. \u201cJournaling is very important at a younger age because you can really track your progress and your feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Biles also takes pride in reading back past entries and seeing her accomplishments and progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

10. Have an intention\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s unrealistic to ask yourself to give 100% every day. Biles says it\u2019s important to have an intention, which can help you show up to at least 70% every day and still accomplish your goals.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself: What is your why<\/em>?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe days that I come in, and I don\u2019t have a reason or intention for being there, it falls\u00a0apart, and you don\u2019t feel very motivated,\u201d says Biles, who loves what she does and says it\u2019s the reason for her motivation and success.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more on the 2024 Paris Olympics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n