6.28 Frederica Pellegrini: Find Your Peace

“Serenity in sport is everything. Otherwise, it's a paradox. The body must always be trained at 100%, but if the head is not serene, you can do the best training, but it will never pay off.” - Frederica Pellegrini

How are you in pressure games or moments? Are you the calm in the storm, or are you a part of the chaos?

I recently talked to my daughters about the importance of calming your mind in the middle of the storm. When you are calm and centered, you can create space for you to do your best work.

A simple way to do this is by doing Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold it again for 4 seconds. Repeat 4 times, and you can calm your mind.

Federica Pellegrini is a legendary Italian swimmer—often called “La Divina”—widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle athletes of all time. She once said, "Serenity in sport is everything. Otherwise, it's a paradox. The body must always be trained at 100%, but if the head is not serene, you can do the best training, but it will never pay off."

Being able to find peace is a superpower. Mental calmness (serenity) is just as important as physical training. Without a clear, focused, and peaceful mind, even your hardest work won’t reach its full potential.

You can give full physical effort—train at your highest capacity—but if your mind is stressed, anxious, or distracted, you can do the best training, but it will never pay off.

Success is not just physical—it’s mental, too.

Question of the Day: How do you or can you train your mind to be calm and present in the middle of the storm?