December 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and life-style director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder podcast Clear Magnificence Faculty. 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 obsessed with their work. Nevertheless it’s significantly exhausting for elite athletes, who usually must retire younger and maybe not below 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 as a result of 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 right this moment: Co-host of a profitable sports activities podcast, speaker, entrepreneur, and fortunately married to her longtime accomplice.
Right here, how she takes care of herself right this moment.
mindbodygreen: I actually love speaking with athletes in any respect levels of their careers, however I’ve discovered a few of the most significant conversations have been with retired athletes, as a result of they provide such a novel perspective. What has been essentially the most thrilling a part of your profession and life transition publish 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 believe whenever 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, generally it nonetheless looks 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 flippantly as a result of it may be a double-edged sword, proper?
For the longest time—when you’re coaching for and competing in your sport—you’re informed what to do and learn how to do it. You simply observe orders in some methods. So whenever you retire, for the primary time in your grownup life, you might have the chance to do no matter you need.
For me, it was the conclusion that I had all these superb talent units that I’d realized by swimming, so then I obtained to consider what I may do it with. I may ask myself: What’s my ardour? What’s my objective? Whereas that may be overwhelming, for those who body it the fitting manner 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 publish swimming?
Hoff: Actually, the identical factor! You say it is a problem to go to the Olympics, however I really assume 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 outdated, 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 believe the toughest half after I was finished 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 after 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 objective once more—and, most significantly, not making an attempt to copy what I simply did.
Once you retire from sports activities, ardour and objective are going to look very totally different. After getting that realization, it might really feel very overwhelming and scary. So it’s about pushing by these moments to actually really get to the opposite facet.
mbg: Your podcast, Unfiltered Waters, has been an enormous a part of what you’re obsessed with now, I think about. What’s that have been like?
Hoff: It’s been actually rewarding—extra rewarding that I may have probably imagined. On a private entrance, it was an enormous 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 friends really feel snug to get weak. I really feel like Missy and I actually create this enjoyable ambiance: It’s such as you’re sitting on a sofa with your pals consuming espresso. We don’t have an agenda, we simply wish to foster a very sincere dialog about no matter that individual is feeling at that second. aAnd the stuff I hear folks 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 lots of elite stage athletes must undergo after stepping away from their sport. What was that point like?
Hoff: The most important piece of recommendation I give folks is that you may’t skip steps. You possibly can’t drive it. You don’t know when that second of decision goes to occur. It’s such a irritating reply, but it surely’s true.
Once I retired, I by no means thought I might be capable to get again to the game. I ended my profession, but it surely wasn’t alone phrases, and I assumed that was it. I assumed that chapter was closed and I’m by no means going to have the ability to revisit it.
Ultimately, I went on a week-long intensive with The Hoffman Course of. The aim of it wasn’t to seek 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 may by no means plan that out.
Belief me, I”m not saying I’m totally healed from all the pieces, but it surely was sufficient therapeutic the place I used to be like, OK I’ve some lightness in me and I’ve some stage of decision. I really feel able to face all the pieces once more and face my fears.
I used to be an enormous reduction as a result of I by no means thought it might occur.
mbg: Yeah, I believe that’s very relatable — not only for athletes, however for everybody. Most people have been in a scenario the place they arrive to the top of a journey, and there’s a stage 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 concern that arises in these moments is since you really feel like it will final endlessly. There are moments the place you’re identical to, Oh my, I can not stand up to this sense for the remainder of my life. The factor I’ve realized is it isn’t endlessly.
Sadly, you do not have a crystal ball to know that tomorrow you are going to be healed, but it surely’s simply form of taking the time, going by the steps, being in it, and leaning on the folks in your life that love you it doesn’t matter what. That’s what is going on to get you thru, but it surely’s not endlessly.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: I wish to pivot and discuss your well-being routine these days. Let’s begin with diet. What meals assist you to really feel your strongest?
Hoff: I like a superb grass fed steak. And carbs for me are enormous. I may 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 after I really feel essentially the most simply glad 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 individuals 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 burdened or one thing actually risky is occurring in my life, I can sleep. I’m simply very lucky that it doesn’t take me loads to sleep.
However I additionally really feel like I’m placing within the work. I train day by day. I take advantage of mouth tape. I don’t have caffeine late within the day. So clearly I’m doing lots of issues that contribute to having the ability to sleep properly. It’s all of these customary ideas that you simply usually hear, that I most likely take with no consideration that I do.
So if individuals are struggling, positively ensure you’re checking all these containers.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise or option to transfer your physique?
Hoff: That has been a journey since retiring, for positive. I might say now I actually like several sort of boot camp. I like Barry’s Bootcamp, which I can go to show my mind off. I’ve not too long ago began doing power coaching with a buddy. I hate understanding alone, and must do it with different folks. I would like group.
I’ve finished two marathons and some half marathons. I’ll not being doing any extra marathons, however what it has taught me is that I like doing 5-6 miles to maneuver my physique.
So a mixture of these three features—power coaching, boot camps, and operating like 5 days every 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 vital 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 have a look at the physique of labor. So whether or not that was after I was competing, whether or not that is now and I’m going to go do a pitch to an investor for a corporation, it’s about how a lot work I’ve put into it. What number of reps have I finished? What number of telephone calls have I made? How a lot info do I do know?
It is arming myself with the information to gas my confidence. That is how I can be mentally robust in conditions the place I won’t be as assured, or have anxiousness.
mbg: Everybody wants a decompressing exercise. What’s yours?
Hoff: Watching a superb collection 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, joyful life is relationships. So for us, watching an episode of a present, we’re into snuggling with our Frenchie, being collectively, and speaking by the day, that’s what actually issues.
mbg: We’re on this nice second within the zeitgeist during which ladies athletes are getting extra consideration than ever. Hopefully meaning extra ladies will get into and persist with sports activities. What recommendation may you might have for these younger ladies?
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 exhausting to have that individual be your dad and mom or your coach. I believe having that third occasion perspective, recommendation, and belief is actually, actually vital to navigate by the ups and downs of not solely being a feminine, but additionally being a feminine athlete.