Interviews: Corinne Mayhew (August 2015)
Interview 3: Katie Blundell - Professional snowboarder
1.What have you found to be the most influential psychological factors inhibiting your performance?
Nerves are definitely the main psychological factor that inhibits my performance. Tricks I have performed a thousand times I find hard to execute when in a stressful situation like a competition. It alters how my mind works which in turn affects my body. I put so much pressure on myself to do well that my whole body tenses up, and when I get that rigid, my snowboarding doesn't flow and I make mistakes. My body shakes and I can't land tricks.
Confidence is another huge factor. If your mind starts playing tricks and you start doubting yourself you are unable to commit to a trick 100%. In snowboarding you need to have 110% commitment for a trick to work. Anything less and technically it will fail.
As silly as it sounds, embarrassment and self image is another factor. Often I would be scared to try a trick for fear of failing or falling and what people would think of me! If a chairlift runs over the park, I would wait until there was no one I knew on it before trying a new trick just in case I make a total idiot of myself! Often this would mean sticking to safety tricks rather than pushing myself to learn new tricks.
The weather? This could be another factor that could affect my state of mind. Blue bird sunny days are uplifting and automatically put you in a good mood, therefore improving your performance. Bad weather could often create a more sombre mood which could make motivation towards self-progression lower.
2. Have you discovered certain techniques that are effective when tackling these factors?
Music can uplift a mood and inspire. If my battery on my I-pod runs out, then that's my day done! I use music a lot in competitions to focus. I also use different music depending on what sort of snowboarding I’m doing. For cruising I definitely use more mellow music, and I would choose more upbeat music for the park.
Yoga helps to chill me out as well, especially if I do it before riding. Linking into this is breathing. Concentrating on my breathing can help me to keep control of my nerves.
I also try to visualise my snowboarding and tricks a lot. I feel if I can imagine myself doing it then I will be able to do it!
I also talk to myself, mostly in my head but sometimes out loud! I tell myself that "I can do it" and this helps me to believe in myself.
