2023-08-22 13:50:33
Olga Carmona scored the goal that proclaimed the women’s soccer team world champion in Sydney (Australia). The happiest day of her life also became the darkest when she found out, after the game, the death of her father. An elite athlete who faces this moment in her life with resilience.
Olga Carmona celebrates the goal that gave Spain victory over England in the Women’s Soccer World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. EFE/EPA/DEAN LEWINS
“The situation that Olga Carmona has experienced reveals something that is often forgotten, and that is that behind an elite athlete there is a person who not only has to deal with obstacles and the pressure of always being in the point of view and having to meet objectives. They also face the same difficulties that shake us all,” explains the specialist in Sports Psychology from Instituto Centta, José García Donate.
The fact that her family made the decision not to inform her of her father’s death until after the game allowed the player to focus on the game and give Spain the victory.
“When we feel unpleasant emotions (such as anxiety, sadness, anger…) with great intensity, we lose focus, because the body understands that there is something more important to deal with. This makes it very difficult to be able to concentrate and perform well in any activity that we set out to do, and even more so, if we are talking about the final of a World Cup”, indicates the expert.
“Surely when making the decision not to comment on it -he adds- they will have taken into account
account these aspects, in addition to the great work and dedication that has had to carry out the
athlete to be able to reach said final”.
Olga Carmona celebrates the victory with her teammates upon arrival in Spain. EFE/ Rodrigo Jimenez
García Donate mentions the example of the American sprint skater Dan Jansen who learned of the death of his sister before participating in one of the events at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary (Canada) in 1988 and fell despite starting as a favourite.
According to the sports psychologist, “many times when we see athletes achieving historic milestones, such as the women’s soccer team, we forget that they are human beings who feel and suffer like everyone else and who cannot be demonized for poor performance, since, many times we do not know what is behind it. Olga Carmona has shown her resilience by accompanying the team until the end of the celebration ”.
How to face this duel
Giulia de Benito, grief specialist psychologist of Centta Instituteoffers these tips to be able to assimilate bad news such as the loss of a loved one.
Time to become aware and process what happened. We need silence and space
of pain to assume and accept before continuing. Those who do not have this privilege should try to reserve spaces where they can stop alone or accompanied by those people who know and are compassionate to our pain.
You can stop, hide, sleep and disappear if you need it and do it consciously.
It is time to seek refuge and welcome the emotions that come. Now when your mind
and your body asks you little by little to reconnect with the activities that make you who you are,
don’t reject it. Little by little, welcome it back to life as you process the pain.
Ask for help and let yourself be helpedemotionally, of course, and also to rearrange everything
that which internally and externally has fallen. Accept offers of instrumental help,
joint decision maker and the company. Internally your experience is very lonely, but
outside does not have to be.
Do not rush what can wait. After bad news, reality passes through the only
filter that our mind can afford. If you can, wait to make decisions so that
you can do it from a wider range of thoughts and emotions. same for
make big purchases, make big trips, etc.
Pay attention to those things that you can control: emotional experience is not
one of them, but others are, such as the people you choose to have around you, the care
that you can carry out, the decisions that can alleviate this moment, etc.
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