Unwaveringly Optimistic

Resilient athletes have an extraordinary ability to remain optimistic when facing challenges. They meet obstacles head-on with hope for a great outcome. In sport, one thing is certain: if you want to be great, there will be hurdles in your way — and you must remain optimistic through them.

Marathon runners offer a powerful example of resilience in competition. Toplevel marathoners race for just over two hours straight. They have ample time for mental interference to creep in, and plenty of opportunity for pain or injury to distract them. Their ability to endure under those conditions is especially remarkable.

Eliud Kipchoge is one of the most decorated marathon runners in the world. He has competed in four Olympic Games across a 20-year career, won two gold medals (four Olympic medals in total), and broken the world record twice. He is the only runner to complete a marathon in under two hours — a feat many thought impossible for a human.

After winning gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kipchoge prepared for Tokyo, only to face the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced to wait nearly another year before he could compete, he stayed resilient and defended his Olympic title.

Kipchoge once said:

“If you concentrate on the rear mirror, you’ll crash and cause an accident.”

This simple but powerful statement highlights how he maintained forward-looking optimism and refused to get stuck in past setbacks.

The optimism Kipchoge showed between Rio and Tokyo reflects a key mental skill for resilience. These athletes believe in their capacity to achieve their goals, even in the face of setbacks and failures. This positive outlook allows them to stay motivated, stay focused on the future, and always look for the next opportunity to succeed.

The key to being a resilient athlete is accepting that obstacles are a natural part of the journey to success. It’s our job to remain optimistic, not adopt a victim mindset with thoughts like “Woe is me, I will never achieve my goal.” Instead, we must remain hopeful and prepared to bounce back from setbacks.

This is Mental Strength.

For Players

Do:

• Choose optimism when setbacks arise — remind yourself, “the mirror is behind me, not ahead.”

• Use each challenge as fuel to strengthen your mindset and stay focused on the next opportunity.

Don’t:

• Look backward at past failures and let them dominate your thoughts.

• Let obstacles become excuses that lower your ambition or effort.

For Parents

Do:

• Encourage your athlete to focus on what comes next, not what went wrong.

• Reinforce that optimism and attitude matter as much as physical preparation.

Don’t:

• Emphasize disappointments or tell your athlete that failure defines them.

• Let frustration or pessimism between you and your athlete prevent hope for what’s ahead.

For Coaches

Do:

• Cultivate a team culture that values a forward-thinking mindset and bounce-back optimism.

• Highlight examples like Kipchoge’s story of staying ready and believing despite delay and disruption.

Don’t:

• Allow negative talk about past mistakes to dominate practices or locker rooms.

• Ignore the importance of mindset in recovery from setbacks—resilience and optimism deserve a coach's attention.