Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest

Erin Popovich: Going from Fear to Feats

CoachesEducatorsParents

Not all elite athletes are born knowing that they’ll excel in a sport. That was certainly the case for Erin Popovich, although you would never guess it given that she has become one of the most successful Paralympic swimmers to date.

Popovich has earned a total of 19 medals – 14 gold and five silver from her performances in three Paralympic Games – an impressive feat from an athlete who was once terrified of the pool.

In the following interview with TrueSport, Popovich shares how the world of competitive sports taught her how to overcome her fears, prioritize hard work to reach her goals, and most importantly, how to get back into the game after a setback.

Erin Popovich: Going from Fear to FeatsQuestion: How did you find swimming?

Erin: I have always been interested in sport. I love competition, so anything competitive always drew me in…from an early age competing in elementary school-based programs, to my family being very involved in soccer. We became the traveling soccer family. Once I found swimming, it just seemed like I found my niche.

Question: Do you remember your first memory of being in the pool? What it was that drew you to swimming specifically?

Erin: My first memories of being in the pool were often of terror and fear. I doggy-paddled and was afraid of the deep end. I was deathly afraid of water as a kid. I would cling onto the wall, and they’d be prying me off. It was bad.

But it sparked my interest, and I always wanted to learn how to swim.

Once the kids started growing leaps and bounds when they hit puberty in soccer, I knew that I needed a different sport that would really feed to my need. I found swimming.

We had one team in Butte, Montana, the Butte Tarpon Swim Team. The coach asked, “Can you swim?” I said, “Sure.”

I dove in and doggy-paddled the whole way down and the rest is history.

Question: As you developed as an athlete, did you ever doubt your ability to succeed in sport, or question why you should continue doing it?

Erin: I think as an athlete, you always face doubts about whether you should continue to swim, or whether you should continue with your career. Some of that is life decisions outside of your sport. Other times, it’s just where you are within the sport.

There were times that were tough, whether it was coming back from injury, or surgeries, or those obstacles that made me think, “Is this really what I want to continue doing?”

But then when you see the reward, and you see what you’re able to accomplish with hard work and determination, there’s no better feeling than standing on top of the podium at the Paralympic Games. Once you get there, it really makes everything worth it.

Question: Can you share more about your injuries and the obstacles you’ve had to overcome during your athletic career?

Erin: I was very fortunate in my career to only have had a few minor sport related injuries like shoulder tendinitis. More of my surgeries were from Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, which is what I have.

Some of those surgeries were just chronic issues from my growth. I had my legs straightened in 2001, because they were, not severely bowed, but drastically bowed. All my weight was resting on the inside of my knee, so over time, it started to deteriorate my knee. When I finally stopped growing, the doctors determined that it would be a good time to realign my legs, so the actual joints lined up correctly, and then I could prolong my athletic career.

At that time, it was really becoming limiting in what I could do at practice and what I could do competition-wise just because of the pain. I had ankle surgery, just to repair a growth plate. More surgeries on my knees to make sure that everything was working correctly following the leg straightening. These major surgeries improved the quality of my life, so they were worth it.

Erin Popovich: Going from Fear to Feats
Photo Credit: US Olympic Committee

Question: Before those surgeries, did it feel like it was worth it to keep competing – to continue to grow in your sport and push passed your perceived limitations?

Erin: For me, competition is always what drives me.

I’ll make a competition out of anything. Whether it’s who can get to work first, or who can climb a flight of stairs, even though I know I’m going to lose every time. Knowing that I always wanted to get to the next competition and to the next level – that next pinnacle of sport, was really what continued to drive me, whether it was a good time or not.

Question: What does having a competition like the Paralympics mean to you?

Erin: The Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of sport for every athlete with an impairment. There’s no greater honor than representing your country, your teammates, coaches, and family on the world stage of sports.

Having the opportunity to qualify for an event like that, and then actually qualifying, it’s just something that will stick with me forever. Standing on top of the medal stand, hearing our national anthem being played in a foreign country is probably one of the most … It gives me the chills every time I think about it.

Question: Can you describe the moment or memory that stands out to you from your first Paralympics?

Erin: My first experience competing at the Paralympics was at the Sydney Games in 2000. I had just started swimming two years prior to that and really had no idea about the magnitude of the Paralympics.

I think I was 15 years old at the time…I was just excited to be in a foreign country.

I’ll never forget walking into the opening ceremonies. We had 110,000 people in the stands cheering. And when they called out United States of America, the crowd just went wild. I mean 110,000 people… that’s nearly three times bigger than my hometown.

It was exciting – the lights, the energy, the everything. It was just so spectacular. As you approach the opening, it gets louder, and louder, and louder, and it’s just an energy I can’t even describe.

And that was the only opening ceremony that I’ve gotten to go to due to the race schedule.

Question: What are the greatest lessons you’ve learned from your athletic career?

Erin: The greatest lessons I’ve learned throughout my athletic career is that nothing comes easy. Everything takes hard work. It takes a lot of work, and it takes long-term goals of what you want to accomplish.

I had to work every day on what I could learn, what I could change, what I could modify, what I was doing right, and what I wasn’t doing right to become a better athlete.

There are so many opportunities out there for you to continue to learn and educate yourself on your sport to become a better athlete. Those things also all play into life after sport.

It’s up to you to decide how far you want to take it, what you want to do, what you want to achieve, and really push yourself, whether it’s in work, family, school, you name it. It’s up to you to keep yourself going.

Question: What advice would you give to a young athlete who wants to test their abilities in sport but is lacking the confidence?

Erin: I think the biggest thing for young athletes to understand is that it’s okay to fail, as long as you learn from that failure.

I would love to say that everything came naturally, but it didn’t. There’s a lot of trial and error. But it’s okay. Talk with others. Figure out game plans and just try new things. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then figure out why it didn’t work and what you need to do to improve.

Related Content

Loading...
1 2 … 13

Join Us

Subscribe
Shop TrueSport
Host TrueSport

TrueSport logo without icon in white.

© 2024 TrueSport | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.