How Eileen Gu used visualization to win Olympic Gold

If you’re like me, you’ve been glued to the TV binging the Winter Olympics, completely awestruck over the talent, grit, and grace they’ve athletes have.

I’m so fascinated by the Winter Olympics because I have very little exposure to most of these sports. I started following Jessie Diggins after moving to Upstate New York in 2018 and subsequently fell in love with cross country skiing. The more I learn about winter sports, the more I’m fascinated by them. I want to know the mindset of these athletes while they’re racing down the track during a luge race. I want to understand how they push through fear as they fly through the air on their skis.

As I watched the women’s Freeski big air final on Monday night, I started noticing some of the women mimicking the tricks they were about to attempt. These elite women were doing none other than visualization.

The eventual gold-medal winner, Eileen Gu, has talked frequently about how powerful visualization has been for her and her skiing. Before the Olympic final, she had never done the trick that inevitably won her the gold medal. She said, “I think I did two days on the airbag, but I’ve spent a lot of hours visualizing it, if that counts. Generally, I’ve visualized for about an hour and a half before bed every day.”

She shared in a recent New York Times article that learning a new trick starts with visualization. In her mind, she takes herself through the motions of her trick and her mental cues and how she’ll feel as she’s flying through the air.

So, what can we learn from Olympians like Eileen Gu?

Visualize yourself achieving the success you dream of. Not only see yourself achieving that success but let yourself feel it. For example, visualize how you’ll run your next race and do it repeatedly. Commit it to memory. Visualize it so much that your mind believes it to be true.

If you’re new to using visualization, choose a specific part of your performance you want to focus on. For example, visualize yourself swimming a 100 butterfly or navigating a tricky trail feature. You don’t need to visualize an entire Ironman every night. Instead, choose something you’re either nervous about or want to work on and see yourself successfully completing it.

Practice for a few minutes if you’re just starting out. If you aren’t used to practicing visualization, even a minute or two can feel like a long time and challenge your focus. So start small and build up as you get closer to your race.