Voice of the Athlete: Helena Sund

We had the opportunity to interview Helena Sund. At her best so far, she has been 6th in the BMX World Championships, 2nd place in the UEC (European Cycling Union), Nordic Champion, and National Champion, all by the age of 17. She is someone who utilizes mental training to elevate her performance to the maximum. Listen to the Voice of the Athlete: Helena Sund.

Voice of the Athlete: Helena Sund

Learn more about how to build a toolbox of mental training skills: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource

Question: How did you get started in BMX racing?

Voice of the athlete: I didn't actually start out of my own interest. It was actually my brother who found the sport when he was about five or six years old. My father decided to join in as well. At that point, I was about two years old. I basically grew up in the sport! But my parents didn't want to force me to start. They waited for me to show interest, which I did almost straight away. I didn't ask to compete until I was around four or five. And that's when I did my first competition. After that, I was completely hooked! But these are all things that I've heard from my family, since I mostly can't remember anything from that time.

Question: What is your favorite thing about riding?

Voice of the athlete: I love the acceleration, the dedication, the speed, training for hours for something you believe in, and competing in general. The feeling of coming home from a rough day, going to the track to ride my bike, and just letting everything go, with full focus on that moment and what I'm doing. It's a place where I know I will do my best at all times, where I will spend hours on end to finally, after days, weeks, months, or even years, accomplish something I never thought I could. That's my favorite thing.

Question: At 17 years of age, you have had some really amazing BMX wins (World Champion, 11-time National Champion in Sweden, 8-time Nordic Champion, and 2nd place in the UEC BMX EUROPEAN CUP). Which are you most proud of and why?

Voice of the athlete: You forgot one! My 6th place in the World Championships. Which isn't actually the one I'm most proud of, even though that's the one people usually care about the most. And surprisingly, I don't actually have one. But if I really had to choose a race, it would be my first-ever BMX competition. I don't remember it, but I know that race was the beginning of something great. The beginning of my journey. And that makes me proud because I now know how far I've come.

Question: How do you mentally prepare before a race (the week before, the night before, and the day of)?

Voice of the athlete: I usually have so much else going on in my life, so I choose to try to focus on one thing at a time. But a while before the race (if I haven't visited the track or ridden it before), I generally search for some videos so I can analyze it. I plan where I'll, for example, jump or manual, how I'll take the turns or how the gate is. Days before the competition, I like to make sure that I have everything figured out. That includes clothes, protection, hotel, travel, etc. On the day of the race, I keep my mind off racing as much as possible. I know that if I think about it too much, I'll just be tired when it's time to actually perform; I really start prepping when I'm getting ready to race, right before I go up.

I close my eyes and go through the whole race in my head, I think about the gate, the straights, the jumps, etc. Most importantly, how I WILL WIN.

It might seem selfish, but for me, I need to imagine it. I know that in every race, winning is my main goal, and I will do everything to my greatest ability to achieve that goal. After I've gone through it in my head, I let it go again when I head up to the gate, when I'm standing behind the gate, I'm in full focus, and I look at the lights of the gate in front and "try out" my reaction to waking up my system. Then it's my turn.

I do my little ordinary ritual, getting ready, and in that moment, I am the only thing that exists. It's a surreal feeling. I tell myself that "I've got this." I take a deep breath, and that's it. Whatever happens in the race, happens. And by that point, I know that I've done everything I could to give myself the best opportunity to perform the race of my life.

Question: How do you stay focused when you are under pressure?

Voice of the athlete: The pressure is always there, but you have to learn how to focus it on helping you perform, redirecting the energy into something positive. It's easy to forget why you're there in the first place. So what I do is follow my routine, and that usually helps me focus. A big part of it is exactly that. I direct my energy and focus on whatever is on the agenda. Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed, I speak to my friends, friends who aren't in the same situation as me, to help bring me back down. In some situations, I do some meditation. Whatever I do, it's to lift the pressure from myself and come back to my focus.

Question: Have you ever experienced or seen someone have paralyzing fear at competition time, and what did it look like?

Voice of the athlete: Yes!! The second time I went to the World Championships. It was INSIDE on a hill with something that felt and appeared to be SANDPAPER. I had never in my life been so scared of a hill. I didn't even want to roll down it. And that happened ... at worlds ... what was the worst part? I DIDN'T TELL ANYONE as I was used to being the strong and self-sufficient girl. If I told anyone, I thought they'd think less of me. I felt the immense pressure of performing, especially since I placed 6th the last time I competed in this race. And everyone was watching me and expecting me to do well (that's what I thought anyways).

I tried to act like normal, but at the gate, my legs were shaking like crazy. And I barely pedaled on the whole track! And afterward ... it was disappointing. People confronted me about it, which only made the 11-year-old me feel way worse. I felt as if I had let everyone down, and I NEVER wanted that to happen again. I felt horrible and guilty about it for years. And I sometimes still think back to it. It terrifies me what might happen to me the next time I go to Worlds. And I wish with all of my heart that nobody has to experience that. Now, as I'm older, I know how to help others. And myself if they/I find myself in the same situation again. It was one of the worst BMX racing experiences of my life.

Question: What is your biggest source of motivation to keep riding and competing?

Voice of the athlete: My Instagram. I love seeing how I evolve over time. It gives me evidence, in the times that I question myself, that I actually do GET BETTER! I can often be really hard on myself. When I look back at old posts, I can see a visible change. And that always helps me find new courage and motivation. It helps when people comment and interact with my posts. It often makes my day and inspires me to learn new things. THEY motivate me and THEY inspire me.

Another thing that helps motivate me when I am having a bad day or a hard time are my training companions. I can ask them if they've learned something new recently. And their excitement alone makes me cheer up. But the truth is that you can't always be motivated and full on all the time. You know what, that's okay. It's okay to not feel like riding your bike some days or even think of anything training-related.

I'm telling you that IT IS OKAY TO TAKE BREAKS. I, for example, had a 3-year one! Because I am a strong believer in doing what you love, and just like anything else, sometimes you fall out of it. I took that break because I fell out of it, but I came back. I had more motivation and will to succeed than I have ever had in doing something. You have time to do what you want and still take breaks!

Question: Did you ever have limiting beliefs that you had to work through to take your performance to the next level?

Voice of the athlete: Yes! I have them all the time! I have thought countless times that I won't ever be able to do it. It didn't matter how many competitions I won. For example, I thought that because I couldn't manual or jump when I was younger, that I would never be able to, but I know that to be wrong now. People told me that I would never be able to do it. And after some time, I started believing them. I work every day to turn my thoughts around, to take that energy and use it to prove to myself that I can actually do this.

Whatever I put my mind to, I can do. I always have to remind myself that I've got this. It's a phrase I repeat every time I do something new, difficult, or scary. Things come up all the time that make me doubt myself and my own abilities. I work my hardest to channel them into positivity. I had to get over myself. Saying "It's too hard" while doing hard intervals got me nowhere. I talk to myself as if I were trying to encourage my friend to push through :)

Question: What is a challenging skill that you are working on, and how do you train it? Is it more a mental and physical challenge?

Voice of the athlete: I've always had a really hard time learning how to jump and manual because I did not feel the need to actively practice it when I was younger. Almost every new jump or manual (double manual now) I learn can take from 3 to 5 hours a day for weeks on end, and up to 2.5 years! It's challenging in all ways. Frustration builds up as time passes. Seeing others succeed with things you're working hard on breaks me, but I want to keep going. I can have days of just crying and being so annoyed at myself, not understanding WHY things haven't improved. But after that, I take new motivation to clarify my goal and work even harder. Then you finally get it, and you realize that it's all worth it.

Question: BMX racing is a male-dominated sport. How have you faced this challenge, and how do you help other girls who face the same challenge?

Voice of the athlete: It's definitely a male-dominated sport! I grew up racing with the guys and had a really hard time making friends with them. They usually have a totally different way of learning, communicating, and thinking when it comes to learning technique. So even if I was faster than them, I couldn't relate to their experiences.

The way I have tackled this problem is by starting up conversations about the subject of inequality, especially in racing and training situations. I started special camps and training sessions directed towards girls and made sure that everyone knows that girls are tough as frick and should definitely not be underestimated. I'm open about my own experiences, so they know that they are not alone in the struggle of trying to be heard and seen. And I try to be someone they can look up to and feel inspired by because my end goal is for as many girls as possible to see and feel my/the joy of racing BMX.

Question: How has BMX racing helped you outside of your sport?

Voice of the athlete: Over time, it has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams and goals in life. It has given me a way to release stress and anxiety in a meaningful way. It has helped me learn about my own body and mind. I have built up my strength both mentally and physically. And lastly, it has given me a chance to show what I, as a person, am able to do and the impact I have on the world, as well as the people around me.

Listen to the Voice of the Athlete: Helena Sund

Question: What are three things that you think the world needs to know about BMX racing?

1. BMX racing is for everyone. It doesn't matter what age, weight, height, background, ethnicity, or country. You can be a part of it. Believe in yourself!
2. It's not as expensive as you might think. You can make it as expensive as you want. You don't need a fancy bike or fancy equipment. Just buy the basics, and you're well on your way to becoming a part of it!
3. You don't have to race. It's called BMX "racing," and it's definitely fun to race, but it's not mandatory. I know many people who do it just to spend time with their family and have a common interest. Some even do it for the health benefits of moving in a fun and exciting way. I promise you, the time will fly by!

Learn how to improve performance and well-being in sport and any area of your life: read https://MaximumComposure.com

Thank you, Helena Sund, for being the Voice of the Athlete and sharing your journey as a World, Nordic, National, and UEC (European Cycling Union) champion BMX racer, all by the age of 17. Follow Helena's BMX journey: @helenasund_242.

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If you want to be featured in the Voice of the Athlete series, DM us on Instagram or email us at contact@mentalaccelerator.com

Question for you: If you were a world champion at 9 years of age like Helena, what would you remember most? The medal on the shelf or all the training that got you there?