Ohhh 2020....

You really are testing us this year, and athletes (myself included) have had one heck of a ride.

With this year playing out the way it has so far, it’s only normal to speculate where we will go from here.

Olympics being postponed, NCAA and conference swimming championships being cancelled, facilities shutting down, and the fear of being infected with a possibly life altering virus has no doubt taken a toll on our athletic careers.

Let’s consider college swimming for a moment.

The pandemic has left many college programs and athletes in limbo as to what a normal season will look like if they are lucky enough to compete. Some schools have even seen their programs cut outright and scholarships taken away for budget purposes.

On the international scene, things seem very inconsistent from one place to the next.

Some countries have already begun hosting swimming competitions, while some don’t even have facilities open full time.

This causes major anxiety for high level athletes contemplating going into the postponed Olympic year….myself included.

Going into 2020 I was training for my South African Olympic Trails and hopefully a spot on the Olympic team. In my head this was my year, my shot. But who could have ever imagined what this year turned out to be?

I have had my fair shares of anxious days. Worrying and wondering what the future of my career will look like and how this pandemic has blown up all my plans.

So if you are struggling, if you are worried, if you are anxious- YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

So where do we go from here?

I think the key is mental toughness and perspective. These are two things that are completely in our control, and something that we can work on regardless if pools or gyms are closed.

If one thing has been evident in the pandemic is that we don’t know what tomorrow can bring. But if we’re mentally tough and prepared for anything, these situations become much easier to manage and move forward from.

They are minor road blocks in a long and fulfilling journey towards achieving our dreams.

I don’t know your story, I don’t know exactly how this pandemic has affected you, but I can sympathize and offer my support and guidance. I can offer a place to ask questions and hopefully provide answers. And a place to provide structure and training guidance moving forward.

And lastly, I can offer encouragement that this situation, like many other tough ones, will pass.

As endurance athletes we are created to endure, and endure we will.