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 sweetness 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 Inventive / courtesy of supply
December 16, 2024
Retiring might be difficult for anybody enthusiastic about their work. But it surely’s significantly exhausting for elite athletes, who typically must 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 whole however retired at 26 as a result 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 right this moment: 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 right this moment.
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 novel perspective. What has been probably the most thrilling a part of your profession and life transition submit swimming?
Katie Hoff: It’s fascinating, as a result of on our podcast [Unfiltered Waters, which she cohosts with fellow former swimmer Missy Franklin] probably the most invaluable conversations should not individuals who have simply retired, however individuals who have been retired for a number of years.
I feel 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, probably 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 methods to do it. You simply observe 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 proper method it may be thrilling.
mbg: It’s fascinating since you tackle one of many greatest 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 submit 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 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 completed 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.
If you retire from sports activities, ardour and goal are going to look very totally different. Upon getting that realization, it could possibly really feel very overwhelming and scary. So it’s about pushing by way of these moments to essentially actually get to the opposite aspect.
mbg: Your podcast, Unfiltered Waters, has been an enormous a part of what you’re enthusiastic about 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 in all probability 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 susceptible. I really feel like Missy and I actually create this enjoyable environment: It’s such as you’re sitting on a sofa with your folks consuming espresso. We don’t have an agenda, we simply wish to foster a extremely sincere dialog about no matter that particular person 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 a whole lot 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 you could’t skip steps. You possibly can’t power it. You don’t know when that second of decision goes to occur. It’s such a irritating reply, however it’s true.
Once I retired, I by no means thought I might be capable 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.
Finally, I went on a week-long intensive with The Hoffman Course of. The purpose 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 absolutely healed from the whole lot, however it 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 the whole lot once more and face my fears.
I used to be an enormous aid as a result of I by no means thought it will occur.
mbg: Yeah, I feel that’s very relatable — not only for athletes, however for everybody. Most people have been in a state of affairs the place they arrive to the tip 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 worry that arises in these moments is since you really feel like it’ll final eternally. 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 realized is it is not eternally.
Sadly, you do not have a crystal ball to know that tomorrow you are going to be healed, however it’s simply sort of taking the time, going by way of 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, however it’s not eternally.
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: I wish to pivot and speak about your well-being routine these days. Let’s begin with diet. What meals show you how to really feel your strongest?
Hoff: I like a very good grass fed steak. And carbs for me are big. I may by no means do keto. I’m hangry every time I haven’t got carbs. But it surely’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 extremely good hearty meal is once I really feel probably the most simply happy and fulfilled.
mbg: What are your sleep suggestions?
Hoff: I positively have an professional round to assist [her husband, Todd Anderson, sleep and performance expert and founder of Dream Recovery & Performance]. However I’m in all probability 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 lots 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 with the ability to sleep nicely. It’s all of these normal suggestions that you simply typically hear, that I in all probability take without any consideration that I do.
So if individuals are struggling, positively ensure you’re checking all these bins.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise or solution to transfer your physique?
Hoff: That has been a journey since retiring, for positive. I might say now I actually like every sort of boot camp. I like Barry’s Bootcamp, which I can go to show my mind off. I’ve lately began doing power coaching with a good friend. I hate understanding alone, and must do it with different folks. I would like group.
I’ve completed 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 elements—power coaching, boot camps, and working 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. Each 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 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 completed? What number of telephone calls have I made? How a lot data do I do know?
It is arming myself with the information to gasoline 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 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, 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 girls athletes are getting extra consideration than ever. Hopefully which means extra women will get into and keep on with sports activities. What recommendation may 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 exhausting to have that particular person be your dad and mom or your coach. I feel having that third social gathering perspective, recommendation, and belief is basically, actually essential to navigate by way of the ups and downs of not solely being a feminine, but additionally being a feminine athlete.
