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鈥淵ou know from the sensation,鈥� says Nathan Twaddle*. 鈥淵ou can hear the change as the boat cuts through the water, you can feel it through your feet as you drive and in the momentum as you swing through the stroke and you just know it鈥檚 all coming together. It鈥檚 extraordinary, when you feel it. It gives you goosebumps.鈥�

Nathan is talking about what athletes should focus on. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in the boat, before the start of a pinnacle event, of course you want to win: that鈥檚 why you鈥檙e there, it鈥檚 why you got into sport in the first place: because you had this unrealistic belief that you have what it takes. And you鈥檝e visualized standing on the podium, receiving the medal. But you have to put that out of your mind. 80% of what you think about should be how you鈥檙e going to row.鈥�

They call it the 鈥榝low experience鈥�, or 鈥榖eing in the zone鈥欌�� that sensation people have when they are so totally absorbed in something they are very good at, that things seem to be happening without conscious thought. It鈥檚 the sweet spot, they say, between skill and challenge, between control and excitement. 鈥淲hen it happens,鈥� says Nathan, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 when you know the boat is going as fast as it can. It鈥檚 the reward for listening to your coach. And you鈥檒l either win, or you won鈥檛, but you know you鈥檝e done the best you鈥檙e capable of doing.鈥�

鈥淲inning or losing,鈥� says Nathan, 鈥渋s a moment in time. You feel the joy, or the discomfort, but more important is what did you learn?听 If you want a long career in sport, it鈥檚 about picking a different measure and understanding you can never stop learning. It seems counter-intuitive, not to focus on winning, but winning is an outcome of consistently putting together a great performance.鈥澨�

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