the secrets of mental preparation

All of France now knows that Léon Marchand owes part of his exploits to his mental trainer, who managed to free him from his fear of failure. The nearly 4,400 Paralympic athletes who will compete between August 28 and September 8 can also use this type of very specific coach. Mental preparation in their category became more widespread in the 2010s, twenty years after able-bodied athletes. As with the new star of the pool, the goal of mental preparation for para-athletes is to allow them to experience a magical moment, to feel unstoppable, ready for the ultimate consecration. But to achieve this goal, several obstacles must first be overcome.

Optimizing the competition environment

“We work a lot more on elements related to logistics,” explains Philippe Morlot, one of these specialized coaches. Less accessible sports infrastructures, fear of having to change a prosthesis at the time of the competition, training with a guide for visually impaired athletes… The idea is to avoid them having to worry and prepare them for all situations to achieve the optimal mental state on the day.

Often, what is just a detail for an able-bodied person is anything but trivial for disabled athletes. The visually impaired, for example, are more sensitive to noise. “I accompanied an athlete who was always distracted during his competitions,” says Lise Anhoury Szigeti, clinical psychologist at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (Insep). Together, they identified the problem. With his developed hearing, the athlete could hear his mother shouting his nickname in the audience! He wanted to laugh. Since then, he has been able to focus on his competition, his loved ones having been invited to encourage him… in a low voice.

Each athlete has their own preparation

In mental preparation, there are no rules. The follow-up varies according to the issues of each individual. Lise Anhoury Szigeti has been supporting another para athlete since the 2016 Rio Games (Brazil). A relationship of trust has been established between the two women, who have worked a lot together on performance. As the Paris Games approach, one subject particularly disturbs the champion. After a stroke, she is not comfortable in public and is apprehensive about being approached by the French press. The preparation was therefore not only focused on the feat, but also on the environment that would be hers during the competition. “We did role-plays to allow her to be ready when the time comes,” says Lise Anhoury Szigeti.

Goal and self-confidence: teamwork

What about psychological support for these athletes, some of whom must have suffered trauma? “That is not the role of the mental trainer,” says Philippe Morlot. Acceptance of trauma must be achieved with the help of a psychologist, which is often done before preparing for the Paralympic Games. On the other hand, if an athlete needs to talk, our door is always open.” The mental trainer is a complement in setting objectives and aligning physical and logistical capacities. He is one of the links in the preparation team in the broad sense. Philippe Morlot supports a para-athlete in table tennis suffering from cerebral palsy (CP). “Recently, her sports coach noticed that she was training more, but she must not get injured,” he explains. “Talking to her, I understood that she was subconsciously hoping to look like an able-bodied, very muscular athlete. Together we worked on her lack of self-confidence.”