December 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness podcast Clear Magnificence College. Beforehand, she’s held magnificence roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports activities Illustrated, and Attract.com.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
December 16, 2024
Retiring could be difficult for anybody captivated with their work. Nevertheless it’s notably laborious for elite athletes, who typically should retire younger and maybe not underneath the circumstances they select.
However for the actually tenacious and decided, they arrive out the opposite facet able to tackle extra challenges. Such is the case with two-time Olympian and eight-time World Champion swimmer Katie Hoff.
Hoff gained three Olympic medals complete however retired at 26 attributable to a pulmonary embolism in her lung. After, she mentioned she launched into a years-long therapeutic journey that led her to the place she is in the present day: Co-host of a profitable sports activities podcast, speaker, entrepreneur, and fortunately married to her longtime associate.
Right here, how she takes care of herself in the present day.
mindbodygreen: I actually love speaking with athletes in any respect levels of their careers, however I’ve discovered a number of the most significant conversations have been with retired athletes, as a result of they provide such a singular perspective. What has been essentially the most thrilling a part of your profession and life transition put up swimming?
Katie Hoff: It’s fascinating, as a result of on our podcast [Unfiltered Waters, which she cohosts with fellow former swimmer Missy Franklin] essentially the most precious conversations will not be individuals who have simply retired, however individuals who have been retired for a number of years.
I feel while you first retire, it is this whirlwind of what the heck do I do now? Who am I with out swimming or with out my sport? However now that I am 10 years eliminated, I’ve extra readability. Though, typically it nonetheless seems like I am figuring it out.
General, essentially the most thrilling half is that I can create no matter I need. I don’t say that frivolously as a result of it may be a double-edged sword, proper?
For the longest time—whilst you’re coaching for and competing in your sport—you’re informed what to do and the way to do it. You simply comply with orders in some methods. So while you retire, for the primary time in your grownup life, you may have the chance to do no matter you need.
For me, it was the conclusion that I had all these wonderful ability units that I’d discovered by way of swimming, so then I received to consider what I might do it with. I might ask myself: What’s my ardour? What’s my function? Whereas that may be overwhelming, when you body it the precise means it may be thrilling.
mbg: It’s fascinating since you tackle one of many largest challenges I can consider—the Olympics—after which after, you get to take all that ambition, and take into consideration what’s subsequent. So what has been the toughest a part of transitioning put up swimming?
Hoff: Actually, the identical factor! You say it is a problem to go to the Olympics, however I really suppose it is extra of a problem to really feel such as you’re beginning over.
I embraced my sport at such a younger age. I imply, at actually 9 years previous, I used to be like, I wish to go to the Olympics. I wish to be an Olympian. I wish to win medals. So it was simply this clear-cut path for me: Comply with the method, work your butt off, and issues labored out.
So I feel the toughest half once I was achieved was being an grownup and feeling like I used to be simply fully beginning over—and I used to be beginning over behind everyone else. I used to be virtually 26 once I retired; it wasn’t of my very own accord. It was due to a pulmonary embolism in my lung. So the toughest half is discovering my ardour and function once more—and, most significantly, not making an attempt to duplicate what I simply did.
If you retire from sports activities, ardour and function are going to look very completely different. After getting that realization, it might probably really feel very overwhelming and scary. So it’s about pushing by way of these moments to essentially actually get to the opposite facet.
mbg: Your podcast, Unfiltered Waters, has been a giant a part of what you’re captivated with now, I think about. What’s that have been like?
Hoff: It’s been actually rewarding—extra rewarding that I might have probably imagined. On a private entrance, it was a giant deal that I used to be even enthusiastic about doing the podcast and coming again to sports activities. After I retired, it was most likely six or seven years of doing my very own therapeutic journey with my relationship with swimming and the Olympics. So on that finish, it was actually thrilling that I felt open and able to come again to the game in a roundabout way.
Then on the visitor entrance, it’s been actually fulfilling to listen to these company really feel snug to get susceptible. I really feel like Missy and I actually create this stress-free environment: It’s such as you’re sitting on a sofa with your mates consuming espresso. We don’t have an agenda, we simply wish to foster a very trustworthy dialog about no matter that individual is feeling at that second. aAnd the stuff I hear individuals say, I’ve not heard them share it earlier than in different interviews.
mbg: You talked about you went on a “therapeutic journey,” which I think about is one thing a whole lot of elite degree athletes should undergo after stepping away from their sport. What was that point like?
Hoff: The most important piece of recommendation I give individuals is that you would be able to’t skip steps. You’ll be able to’t pressure it. You don’t know when that second of decision goes to occur. It’s such a irritating reply, nevertheless it’s true.
Once I retired, I by no means thought I might be capable of get again to the game. I ended my profession, nevertheless it wasn’t by myself phrases, and I believed that was it. I believed that chapter was closed and I’m by no means going to have the ability to revisit it.
Finally, I went on a week-long intensive with The Hoffman Course of. The purpose of it wasn’t to search out decision. I used to be simply actually hurting, depressed, and I wanted one thing. I got here out of that and inside a month I had messaged Missy asking her to start out a podcast. I might by no means plan that out.
Belief me, I”m not saying I’m totally healed from all the things, nevertheless it was sufficient therapeutic the place I used to be like, OK I’ve some lightness in me and I’ve some degree of decision. I really feel able to face all the things once more and face my fears.
I used to be an enormous reduction as a result of I by no means thought it could occur.
mbg: Yeah, I feel that’s very relatable — not only for athletes, however for everybody. Most folk have been in a state of affairs the place they arrive to the top of a journey, and there’s a degree of grief and damage there. So it’s hopeful that there’s an finish there.
Hoff: I additionally really feel just like the anxiousness and worry that arises in these moments is since you really feel like it may final ceaselessly. There are moments the place you’re similar to, Oh my, I can not face up to this sense for the remainder of my life. The factor I’ve discovered is it is not ceaselessly.
Sadly, you do not have a crystal ball to know that tomorrow you are going to be healed, nevertheless it’s simply sort of taking the time, going by way of the steps, being in it, and leaning on the individuals in your life that love you it doesn’t matter what. That’s what is going on to get you thru, nevertheless it’s not ceaselessly.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: I wish to pivot and speak about your well-being routine these days. Let’s begin with vitamin. What meals assist you to really feel your strongest?
Hoff: I really like a very good grass fed steak. And carbs for me are enormous. I might by no means do keto. I’m hangry every time I haven’t got carbs. Nevertheless it’s about having good carbs, like Japanese candy potatoes or complete grain pasta. After which I am obsessive about Brussels sprouts.
So I simply really feel like a very good hearty meal is once I really feel essentially the most simply happy and fulfilled.
mbg: What are your sleep ideas?
Hoff: I positively have an skilled round to assist [her husband, Todd Anderson, sleep and performance expert and founder of Dream Recovery & Performance]. However I’m most likely somebody that folks hate as a result of I can sleep it doesn’t matter what. A twister could possibly be down the road and I can sleep. If I’m confused or one thing actually unstable is occurring in my life, I can sleep. I’m simply very lucky that it doesn’t take me lots to sleep.
However I additionally really feel like I’m placing within the work. I train on daily basis. I take advantage of mouth tape. I don’t have caffeine late within the day. So clearly I’m doing a whole lot of issues that contribute to with the ability to sleep nicely. It’s all of these customary ideas that you simply typically hear, that I most likely take with no consideration that I do.
So if persons are struggling, positively ensure you’re checking all these packing containers.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise or method to transfer your physique?
Hoff: That has been a journey since retiring, for positive. I might say now I actually like all kind of boot camp. I really like Barry’s Bootcamp, which I can go to show my mind off. I’ve not too long ago began doing energy coaching with a good friend. I hate figuring out alone, and should do it with different individuals. I would like neighborhood.
I’ve achieved two marathons and some half marathons. I’ll now not being doing any extra marathons, however what it has taught me is that I really like doing 5-6 miles to maneuver my physique.
So a mixture of these three facets—energy coaching, boot camps, and operating like 5 days per week—is the right factor for me.
mbg: How do you construct psychological resilience? As a result of for athletes, that a part of it’s simply as necessary as bodily toughness…
Hoff: I’ve at all times been somebody who believes the proof is within the pudding. Every day affirmations and issues like that aren’t my cup of tea. As a substitute, I very a lot take a look at the physique of labor. So whether or not that was once I was competing, whether or not that is now and I’m going to go do a pitch to an investor for an organization, it’s about how a lot work I’ve put into it. What number of reps have I achieved? What number of cellphone calls have I made? How a lot info do I do know?
It is arming myself with the info to gas my confidence. That is how I can be mentally robust in conditions the place I may not be as assured, or have anxiousness.
mbg: Everybody wants a decompressing exercise. What’s yours?
Hoff: Watching a very good sequence with my canine and my husband. That’s the one sleep rule we break, is we do have a TV in our bed room. However the primary factor that helps longevity and creates a lengthy, glad life is relationships. So for us, watching an episode of a present, we’re into snuggling with our Frenchie, being collectively, and speaking by way of the day, that’s what actually issues.
mbg: We’re on this nice second within the zeitgeist during which girls athletes are getting extra consideration than ever. Hopefully which means extra women will get into and follow sports activities. What recommendation would possibly you may have for these younger women?
Hoff: Discover a mentor. That’s one thing I discovered later in life, however I want that I had the attitude and understanding to try this earlier on. There’s simply so many issues that get thrown at you. It’s laborious to have that individual be your dad and mom or your coach. I feel having that third occasion perspective, recommendation, and belief is basically, actually necessary to navigate by way of the ups and downs of not solely being a feminine, but additionally being a feminine athlete.