Voice of the Athlete: Alanna Flax-Clark

We had the opportunity to interview Alanna Flax-Clark, a Para Equestrian training for the Paralympics with the mindset of a champion. Let's listen to the Voice of the Athlete: Alanna Flax-Clark.

Voice of the Athlete: Alanna Flax-Clark Your journey:

Question 1: When did you first become interested in being a Para Equestrian?

Voice of the athlete: I didn’t grow up around horses and had never heard of the sport of Dressage. When I was doing physical therapy, I fell in love with the horses and what they did for me. They were the one thing that helped improve my strength and coordination. They gave me back my voice and increased my self-confidence. When I was getting ready to transition out of therapy, I had to find a way to keep the horses in my life. My physical therapist told me about Dressage and how it was a sport in the Paralympics. At that point, I didn’t even know how to use reins or communicate with a horse to tell it what I wanted. I made it my goal to get classified as a Para Equestrian and one day compete in the Paralympics.

Question 2: What do you enjoy most about competing?

Voice of the athlete: There are so many things that I enjoy about competing. Competing allows me to test all my hard work and training in front of judges in a different environment. With their feedback, I’m able to push myself even harder to be a better athlete and partner with my horse. It’s more than that, though.

My horse, Taco, loves to compete! He shines in the show ring. Competing is like performing with the best dance partner! When we get to do our freestyle to Abba music, we have such a fun time “dancing” in front of the judges and spectators.

Competitions are also a time of community with our fellow barnmates and competitors. It’s nice to cheer everyone on, help each other get ready, and see everyone perform their best.

Question 3: Which is your biggest challenge during competitions?

Voice of the athlete: When away at competition, I always strive to perform exactly as I do at home. The new environment and stimuli we encounter can sometimes be a distraction. It’s important to work on focusing on being one united team in the show ring.

Question 4: Do you incorporate mental training into your routine? If yes, what skills do you practice and how do they help you?

Voice of the athlete: I’m newer to this sport, and there are many different skills that are needed when riding in the show ring at a competition versus schooling at home. It can be intimidating, especially when riding at the international level. To go into the show ring alone with just your horse and to be able to tune out all the stimuli around you to focus on your best performance is a challenge. My trainer, Sara Schmitt, was instrumental in taking me to many different locations with various conditions and stimuli to learn how to handle anything that may come at us.

To learn more about Sara Schmitt, a dressage rider, trainer, and USEF ‘S’ dressage judge, visit her website: http://www.saraschmitt.com.

"I also worked with Tonya Johnston, a mental skills coach who specializes in working with equestrians. She helped me learn to visualize my tests before I go into the show ring. This way, I’m able to visualize riding them before I’m actually there. When I actually get to the competition, I can focus more on the experience rather than every single little movement.

To learn more about Tonya Johnston (@tonyajohnston), Alanna’s equestrian mental skills coach working with riders all over the world, check out: http://www.tonyajohnston.com.

Before I ride, and especially at a competition, I have a routine of stretching and listening to music to help relax me. This helps me focus as I ride my test in the ring.

Question 5: Did you ever experience anxiety during training, and how do you push past it?

Voice of the athlete: Each day I train is my time of relaxation, a time when I can really just breathe. I do work out a lot of my emotions during my riding, but I don’t experience much anxiety. With horses, there are always ups and downs. That’s a normal part of the process.

Question 6: Have you ever taken a bad fall during a ride? How did you overcome the fear of falling again?

Voice of the athlete: I’ve had a few bad falls. I know that if you don’t get right back on, it’s harder to overcome that fear. I also have a wonderful trainer, a supportive network of friends, and good horses that helped me gain my confidence again. They knew just how much to push me, when to give me space, and when I need them close to help me build up my independence and trust in the saddle again.

Question 7: What keeps you motivated to train?

Voice of the athlete: The greatest thing about this sport is that you never stop learning. It’s one of those sports that continues to challenge you; I love the difficulty of it. You have good days and bad days. There’s nothing like the feeling of building a relationship with a 1,200lb animal. My horse, Taco, is such a strong and powerful animal, and I have complete trust in him wherever we go. He also looks to me for that same confidence when we’re out in a new place. As a para-athlete, this is even more special. Taco never judges me based on my disability. We find ways to communicate, to perform complicated movements in spite of my disability. Brainstorming with my coach Sara and working with Taco is what keeps my training fun and exciting each day.

Question 8: What is the greatest piece of advice you've ever received?

Voice of the athlete: My mom always told me to enjoy yourself and put your whole self into everything you do. No matter the outcome, be proud of your accomplishments and what you’ve been able to achieve.

Question 9: What advice would you give others who want to become a para-athlete?

Voice of the athlete: Finding your passion is critical in anything you do. It’s the motivating factor that will keep you wanting to come back each and every day, to train, compete, as well as keep the fun and excitement in the sport. In addition, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. There’s always a way to make it work. Find a team of people that support you. That support system will take you far.

Question 10: Do you have a favorite quote?

Voice of the athlete: "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

Question 11: How has Covid-19 impacted your training?

Things have been very different this year. I’m not exactly sure when the next event is at this point. Competitions are just starting to open up again with new protocols, and we’re waiting to see what happens. We don’t know when events will open in our area or how everything will play out. Many venues have cancelled for the year completely. Since I’m very high risk, my health is a top priority. They’re still trying to see if our bigger all para-competitions will be able to continue later on in the year. Many things are up in the air for this year, and I’m just taking it day by day and focusing on my training right now so that I'll be ready.

Takeaway 1: TACO and Alanna find ways to communicate to perform complicated movements despite her disability. Takeaway 2: Competing allows her to test all her hard work and training in front of judges. With their feedback, she pushes even harder to be a better athlete and partner with her amazing horse, TACO. Takeaway 3: Competing is like performing with the best dance partner!

Thank you, Alanna Flax-Clark, for being the Voice of the Athlete and giving us a glimpse into the mindset of a Para Equestrian on her way to the Paralympics.

Follow Alanna’s journey: https://www.alannaflax-clark.com

Instagram: @aflaxclark Facebook: “Alanna Flax-Clark Para Equestrian”

Visit: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/voice-of-the-athlete/voice-of-the-athlete-david-restrepo