'Hard to describe:' Fellow Olympians share the extreme pressure to perform
Posted February 9, 2022 10:21 p.m. EST
Updated February 10, 2022 8:55 a.m. EST
Now, more than ever, athletes are speaking up about stress and mental health.
On Tuesday, American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin sparked discussion about the pressure she faces as an elite athlete.
Triathlete Katie Zaferes, of Cary, and diver Andrew Capobianco, of Holly Springs, both said they feel for Shiffrin, and can understand the pressure she's going through.
"It's really hard to describe the type of pressure you put on yourself to perform, but as well as the pressure you feel from the people around you and representing your country, and you want to do the best you can," said Capobianco.
Zaferes and Capobianco, who both competed in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics, said Olympic athletes are trying to make sure they don't let down fans and loved ones.
"You're going out there to do the best you can and sometimes you fall short of that goal, so the second part of that is just making sure that you get yourself back up," said Zaferes.
Zaferes said that not performing your best can get in your head, but it doesn't define you.
"I would tell [Shiffrin,] just don't forget who you are, lean into that support crew that is around you and really feel all the love people are giving right now," said Zaferes.
"No one really knows what's going on with her and how she feels right now, and I think that obviously it's important to support her," said Capobianco.
Zaferes said the grace you show yourself in different parts of your life - at home or at work - could be extended to the athletes already feeling pressure.
"At the heart of it, the athlete is the most disappointed. We're the most disappointed so it's not really on anyone else to be disappointed," said Zaferes.
