Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty
Brooke Nealis speaking from the heart about matters of the mind.
Sharing thelengthy messageon Instagram, Neal captioned her post, “A letter I wish I got after the Olympics.”
“I just wanted to pop in and check on you,” she began the letter. “So you might be a little confused right about now. You’ve just competed in the world’s biggest sporting event and yet, this is one of the lowest times you’ve ever felt.”
“You have been in this bubble, your own little world, with 10,000 athletes who are at the top of their game. You have poured blood, sweat, and tears to get there, but you weren’t really prepared for the day after,” Neal continued. “For the week after. For the months after this huge spectacle. You weren’t prepared for life to continue as if nothing happened.”
Explaining that though “you still look the same,” Neal wrote that no one can see that “your insides are still processing all that you’ve been through.” She also said that “close friends and family” don’t understand the pain these athletes are in.
“This is the hardest part — because unless they have experienced the Olympics before, how can possibly understand?” she continued. “Yet somehow, you get frustrated at them and you’re unsure what they even did that was wrong. It’s ok, it’s part of the process. Continue to connect with them and walk them through your feelings.”
Expressing that it is normal to not want to write polite responses to the messages that are received after the games, Neal said, “You are surrounded with so much love and support, but somehow, you still feel alone. Scrolling through your phone mindlessly to fill the gap that you have that hurts.”
“You cringe at the messages that ask, ‘How was it?’ ‘Unlucky, you fought so hard.’ ‘How does it feel to be an Olympian?’ You don’t know how to answer because you have mixed feelings,” she added.
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Continuing her candid message, Neal — who now serves as a mindset and well-being coach for female athletes — detailed the varying emotions that come about after competing.
“On one hand, you think, ‘Yeah, that was frickin epic. What an experience,’ but on the other hand, your heart has been ripped to shreds from the rollercoaster you’ve been on and you’re on the verge of tears over the smallest things. Like you’re a tree that hasn’t put its roots down and the smallest gust of wind could knock you over,” she wrote.
Neal also said that athletes may “feel a little selfish” because their “relationships have been pretty one sided lately,” as they come face-to-face with their emotions.
“Just remember that in relationships, there is always give and take,” she said. “You will have your chance to give back to them in time. Perhaps you can focus on planning an exciting adventure together with a loved one, and create some conversations that don’t involve what you’ve just been through.”
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In her letter, Neal also discussed how Olympians face physical exhaustion after the games, and how they no longer want to work out when they no longer have a goal to train for.
“Your body is limping, aching, bruise, and begging for your attention. Pleading with you to rest. So you’ve been sleeping all day, but you’re still exhausted. That’s normal, don’t worry,” she wrote. “I want you to know that guilt you’ve been carrying — you can let go of that. The guilt that you feel for not wanting to make breakfast, let alone exercise — it’s a normal emotion to feel, but we can let that go.”
“You have just spent 100% of your energy, focus, time, and heart to be at the top of your game. You deserve to rest, without the guilt,” Neal explained. “What’s the point of exercising anyway, you might ask? We have had this huge goal to get out of bed for the last four years, and now you have some time to yourself, you’re thinking — what’s the point?”
“Remember how good it feels to walk in the sand. To stretch your muscles. Start small, and take that stopwatch off your wrist, ok? Just give it a try! You don’t need to be hitting targets, you need to be connecting back in with your body,” she added, concluding, “What I know for sure is that everything you’re feeling will pass. You will start to feel better, I promise. Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and remember that you are exactly where you are meant to be.”
source: people.com
