Freestyle skier Alex Ferreira on ‘praying to Lionel Messi’, eating blueberries, and Hotdog Hans

Visualization has grow to be a robust talent in Ferreira’s profession.

The Colorado native admits that he used to endure from crippling worry earlier than competitions.

In a sport that has include painful penalties – which Ferreira is aware of solely too nicely given his personal prolonged harm listing – he determined to carry aggressive depth to his coaching classes, which higher ready his thoughts for the massive stage.

It’s a mindset that helped him grow to be the first man to put down a halfpipe run consisting solely of doubles, at PyeongChang 2018, and safe back-to-back Crystal Globes in 2023-24, and 2024-25.

“I used to be really, really scared, absolutely terrified out of my mind. And the good thing about that is that means you care a lot and you’re really, really focused and you’re on your toes. The bad thing about that is that it takes a toll on you, and the nerves can eat you alive. Sometimes it doesn’t work out so well,” he continued.

“I used to be sitting by the pool with considered one of my greatest mates and he stated one thing alongside the traces of, ‘victory lies inside preparation’, and I caught to these phrases like white on rice. I made a decision proper then to go to the fitness center, do extra trampoline, hit the sauna, deal with my physique, begin seeing a sports activities psychologist, by no means miss a day of coaching, and I’m gonna visualize all my runs. It modified the course of my life.

“So instead of embracing the nerves each and every time, this off-season training meant that when the time came for these high-pressure pinnacle moments, I was actually really prepared for them and I had seen them, I had visualized them, I had talked about them with my affirmations. I still get nervous. If you’re not nervous, you have a death wish. But I am nervous in a very prepared and healthy way.”