Author – Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller is an award-winning Journalist, Broadcaster and Photographer, and OMP’s Head of Content.
Summer McIntosh is a swimming phenom.
The 17-year-old is Canada’s newest Golden Girl having blitzed the field in the 400m Individual Medley and claiming silver in the 400m Freestyle ahead of US Legend Katie Ledecky.
While she possesses elite physical skills it is her mindset and the mental skills that she applies to her performance that are outstanding.
“Mental almost tops physical in some ways,” she said.
“It’s super important because the body does what the mind believes for sure.”
It’s made even more remarkable give that she doesn’t work with a mental performance coach or sport psychologist.
The daughter of an Olympic Swimmer, Paris is her second Olympics having been Canada’s youngest Olympian at Tokyo at just 14-years-old.
In the lead up to this games, McIntosh has often reiterated that her focus is not on winning gold medals but on the process.
McIntosh has also said that her focus is never on the pressure attached to her performance or the performance of others, she’s just controlling what she can control.
“By the time you get to the competition, all of the physical work is done, so it really can come down to what’s going on in your head,” she told Toronto Life in April 2023.
“There are athletes who like to visualize everything, down to the second, in order to feel confident.
“I try to disassociate and forget the actual competition; that way, it’s just another race, whether it’s a qualifying round or the Olympics.
“I focus on all the training I’ve done, and that’s where my confidence comes from. Then I tell myself to just relax and have fun, which isn’t easy with all the pressure. But, the more you do it, the more you know what works for you.”
It’s clear to see that McIntosh has a mature head on her shoulders.
While she already has two medals to her name, there are still two more opportunities for McIntosh to claim more Olympic glory in the 200m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley.
