Kaylee McKeown just broke yet another world record, this time in the 100 back SCM. But success doesn’t always come without its price for McKeown.
Even though the 4x individual Olympic champion works her tail off and does amazing things in workouts and races constantly, she can sometimes get in her own way when it comes to confidence. Because she has trained herself to always push for perfection, McKeown admits that there are times when doubt creeps in even when she’s swimming her best.
This doubt stems from the desire to always do better and consequently the lack of taking time to appreciate an accomplishment, instead just seeing any feat as a measuring stick for where she can go next. McKeown says when she doesn’t take that time to internalize what she has accomplished, she doesn’t gain the confidence that comes with achieving at a high level.
McKeown does note her overall confidence has risen under coach Michael Bohl and it’s something she will keep working on moving forward.
This is why I hate the “washed” and similar comments. It’s incredibly taxing psychologically to stay at the top of your game for an extended period of time, and losing your drive after a few years is perfectly natural.
Not that it looks like it’s happening to Kaylee, but this just goes to show you never know what’s under the surface.
Couldn’t agree more.
This is why I love getting to share conversations w these athletes – so the people watching them can have more context on what’s really going on w them and how it may affect their performances