December 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life 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 may be difficult for anybody obsessed with their work. However it’s significantly laborious for elite athletes, who typically should retire younger and maybe not below the circumstances they select.
However for the actually tenacious and decided, they arrive out the opposite aspect able to tackle extra challenges. Such is the case with two-time Olympian and eight-time World Champion swimmer Katie Hoff.
Hoff received three Olympic medals complete however retired at 26 because of a pulmonary embolism in her lung. After, she stated 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 phases of their careers, however I’ve discovered among 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 attention-grabbing, as a result of on our podcast [Unfiltered Waters, which she cohosts with fellow former swimmer Missy Franklin] essentially the most precious conversations should not individuals who have simply retired, however individuals who have been retired for a number of years.
I believe if 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.
Total, 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—when you’re coaching for and competing in your sport—you’re instructed what to do and easy methods to do it. You simply comply with orders in some methods. So if you retire, for the primary time in your grownup life, you’ve the chance to do no matter you need.
For me, it was the belief that I had all these superb ability units that I’d realized by way of swimming, so then I received to consider what I may do it with. I may ask myself: What’s my ardour? What’s my goal? Whereas that may be overwhelming, in case 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: Truthfully, 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 previous, I used to be like, I need to go to the Olympics. I need to be an Olympian. I need to win medals. So it was simply this clear-cut path for me: Observe the method, work your butt off, and issues labored out.
So I believe the toughest half once I was achieved was being an grownup and feeling like I used to be simply utterly beginning over—and I used to be beginning over behind all people else. I used to be nearly 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 goal once more—and, most significantly, not making an attempt to duplicate what I simply did.
While you retire from sports activities, ardour and goal are going to look very totally different. Upon getting that realization, it will probably really feel very overwhelming and scary. So it’s about pushing by way of these moments to essentially really get to the opposite aspect.
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 presumably 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 ultimately.
Then on the visitor entrance, it’s been actually fulfilling to listen to these visitors 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 folks consuming espresso. We don’t have an agenda, we simply need to foster a extremely trustworthy dialog about no matter that particular person 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 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, however it’s true.
After I retired, I by no means thought I’d have the ability to get again to the game. I ended my profession, however it wasn’t by myself 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 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 may by no means plan that out.
Belief me, I”m not saying I’m absolutely healed from all the things, however 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 will 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 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 will final endlessly. There are moments the place you’re similar to, Oh my, I am unable to face up to this sense for the remainder of my life. The factor I’ve realized is it is not endlessly.
Sadly, you do not have a crystal ball to know that tomorrow you are going to be healed, however it’s simply type 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, however it’s not endlessly.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: I need to pivot and speak about your well-being routine these days. Let’s begin with vitamin. What meals assist you really feel your strongest?
Hoff: I really like a superb grass fed steak. And carbs for me are large. I may by no means do keto. I’m hangry every time I haven’t got carbs. However it’s about having good carbs, like Japanese candy potatoes or entire grain pasta. After which I am obsessive about Brussels sprouts.
So I simply really feel like a extremely good hearty meal is once 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 folks hate as a result of I can sleep it doesn’t matter what. A twister might be down the road and I can sleep. If I’m careworn or one thing actually unstable 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 every single day. 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 having the ability to sleep nicely. It’s all of these normal ideas that you simply typically hear, that I most likely take with no consideration that I do.
So if persons are struggling, positively be sure you’re checking all these bins.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise or approach to transfer your physique?
Hoff: That has been a journey since retiring, for positive. I’d say now I actually like every kind of boot camp. I really like Barry’s Bootcamp, which I can go to show my mind off. I’ve just lately began doing power coaching with a buddy. I hate figuring out alone, and should do it with different individuals. I want neighborhood.
I’ve achieved two marathons and some half marathons. I’ll 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 elements—power coaching, boot camps, and operating like 5 days every week—is the proper factor for me.
mbg: How do you construct psychological resilience? As a result of for athletes, that a part of it’s simply as essential as bodily toughness…
Hoff: I’ve at all times been somebody who believes the proof is within the pudding. Day by day affirmations and issues like that aren’t my cup of tea. As an alternative, I very a lot have 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 a corporation, it’s about how a lot work I’ve put into it. What number of reps have I achieved? What number of telephone 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 will 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 way of 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 which means extra women will get into and stick to sports activities. What recommendation would possibly you’ve for these younger women?
Hoff: Discover a mentor. That’s one thing I discovered later in life, however I want that I had the angle and understanding to do this earlier on. There’s simply so many issues that get thrown at you. It’s laborious to have that particular person be your dad and mom or your coach. I believe having that third occasion perspective, recommendation, and belief is actually, actually essential to navigate by way of the ups and downs of not solely being a feminine, but additionally being a feminine athlete.
