The noise in the Paris La DéfenseArena is deafening. Flags fly, crowds cheer and athletes pace the pool deck, studying the leaderboard or waving at friends and family. One swimmer stands out. Physically, he is beside the swimming pool, warming up his body to prepare for the onslaught ahead. Mentally, he is already in the race, slicing his way through the cool, blue water with one goal in mind – to win.
And he does. On this summer’s day, in Europe’s largest indoor events venue, Griffith University graduate and Olympic swimmer Tom Gallagher’s laser-like focus pays off with a winning margin of just 0.14 of a second. That’s all it takes for Tom to secure a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics with an impressive time of 23.40 in the men’s 50m S10 freestyle. He will go on to secure two bronze medals in the men’s 100m S10 freestyle and the men’s 100m S10 backstroke.
When you’re an athlete at this level, every millisecond counts. Athletes like Tom are not only training their bodies but their minds to find those crucial fractions of a second. But how do athletes manage to perform under such intense pressure?
Mindset over matter
Phil Bellinger, senior lecturer and researcher in exercise and sports science at Griffith, says mindset is a major factor in elite performance. “It’s the chicken or the egg,” he explains. “It’s muscle or oxygen capacity versus psychology.” And while physical ability and genetics contribute, mental preparation is often what sets champions apart.
“Olympic athletes typically train 25 to 30 hours a week,” Phil says. “But the mental side – working with a psychologist on visualisation and coping techniques – is what helps them perform.”
Tom knows this well. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, he uses each challenge he faces as motivation. “No one works as hard behind the scenes as me,” he says. From surf lifesaving to competitive swimming, Tom’s transition into Paralympic sport has been swift – and determined.
Within 12 months of vowing to make the Australian Paralympic Swimming Team, he’d achieved just that. Selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, he not only qualified for the team but broke the Australian record in the men’s 400m S10 freestyle at the trials as well. He secured a bronze medal, clocking a time of 4:03.91 in the men’s 400m S10 freestyle.
The secret to his success is, he believes, his ability to “nail the process”. While he can’t share the visualisation exercises that have helped him secure those elusive medals, he does say he has a routine to help him prepare for races and which, most importantly, propels him over the finish line that tiny bit faster than his competitors.
“The year before Paris, I got too caught up in winning and trying to beat certain people,” he says. “I lost sight of the process. Winning gold in Paris felt like a full-circle moment. Proof that all the sacrifices were worth it.”
Now, he trains as hard mentally as he does physically. “After each training session I continue to work on my visualisation and follow the steps I need to make my goals a reality.” This means hours of stretching, pilates and massage. His pre-race game is as strategic as his training. “I focus 100 per cent on myself. I draw attention to myself by singing or pacing, because it distracts others. They watch me. I don’t watch them.”
Getting the balance right
That ability to stay in your own lane, both literally and mentally, is key, believes two-time Olympian (2012 and 2016) Thomas Fraser-Holmes, who now leads Griffith’s National Swim Squad. He says pressure management is essential for performance.
“I’ve been on both sides, so I know how stressful training and performance can become,” he says. “As a coach, I try to educate and inspire athletes and motivate them to make great choices for themselves, so they deliver the performance they’re after. When I was competing professionally, I was all in, I wanted it so badly. It’s only now, when I’m on this side of the pool, that I have been able to take the time to see how it’s possible to perform better or differently.”
He likens an athlete’s life to a pie divided into four: training, studies, family and friends, and social life. “These need to stay balanced. Close to competition, training will take over, but not forever,” he says. “Prolonged imbalance can affect mental health and performance. I don’t want to see my athletes fall out of love with the sport, because it’s given them so much.” For Thomas, his ability to balance his own pieces of the pie means he still swims most days. “It’s my stress relief; it always has been.”
Tom agrees it’s possible to balance the pressures. Competing in races, he says, is no longer different to training. “You just have to do it. I focus on the moment. I think about staying ‘long and strong’,” he says. “I stay relaxed. If my mind wanders, I know I haven’t trained hard enough. If someone beats me, it’s because they’ve trained longer than me.”
The final push
And, when milliseconds count, what gives athletes the ability for that final push? “I know when the final line is coming up,” says Tom. “There’s a final burst of energy, an extra breath – that’s where and when the work comes in.”
According to Phil, this ability to deliver at the end is the result of mental conditioning. “You can train your brain to resist giving up,” he says. “You can’t predict how a competition will go, so in that moment you have to be convinced you can finish and you can finish first.”
Tom calls it the “flow state”. “At 50 metres, I’m relaxed, enjoying the speed. If I tense up, I’ll go slower. It’s about wanting to win, but not so much that it affects my performance. My training prepares me for that final moment. Even if I don’t win, I want to be so confident that I’ve still done my best.” We can’t all be Olympic swimmers – but that’s surely a way of thinking we can all get behind.
How to manifest split second timing into your life
- Visualise success daily. See and feel yourself achieving your goal. This can be done after a training session to help manifest your motivation.
- Focus on process over outcome. Perfect each step before moving onto the next.
- Train your mind like your body. Practice mental exercises and don’t be afraid of setbacks. For instance, if you’re meditating and your mind keeps wandering, take this as an indicator you need to meditate more often.
- Create a consistent routine. Rituals anchor your focus and the mind.
- Find your “flow state”. This means you’ll be present, relaxed and ready whenever needed.
- Use setbacks as fuel. Let challenges refine your purpose.
Peak performance under pressure isn’t just for the pool: it can make a difference in your workplace, too. Check out our webinar, Setting Goals and Working with Others in High-Pressure Situations
Image captions (top to bottom):
- Phil Bellinger in the lab.
- Thomas Fraser.
- Tom Gallagher before a race.
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