Voice of the Athlete: Pat Neubauer
She was a semi-pro middle-distance runner in Germany who struggled to find a way to get a sports scholarship in the United States. She is now an elite triathlete trying out for TEAM USA.
Let’s listen to the Voice of the Athlete: Pat Neubauer
Question: How did you get started in running and become a semi-pro in Germany?
Voice of the athlete: When I turned 17, I went through some personal struggles and running became my coping activity. I started running for 30 minutes once a week, and it made me feel really good. Over 6 months, I ran three times a week, sometimes four. At that point, I decided to visit the local running store of Olympic Medal winner Ulrike Bruns. I asked her if she could train me, and I would pay her. She initially suggested that I should train with the local women's running group once a week. I gladly accepted.
Over the years, I trained under her wings 2 times/week, 3 times/week, 4 times/week, and eventually every day, twice a day, and sometimes 3 times a day.
She told me that my talent lies in the middle distance. And she completely prepared me to be the best 800m runner I could be.
To learn more about coach Ulrike Bruns, a 1976 Olympic Bronze Medal winner in 800m, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrike_Bruns
Question: What is the best advice your coach Ulrike Bruns ever gave you, and how have you used that advice to keep working towards being your best self?
Voice of the athlete: She always told me, "Never tell anyone about your goals. Never brag; stay humble. And most importantly, never break down on the floor like many of these girls do when you cross a finish line. Come on! Give me a break! This is completely exaggerated and attention-seeking. You will have the energy to walk away and sit down, not making a huge scene."
She also always told me, "Study comes first." Even though the training was extremely challenging, she always told me never to make sports my number one priority. Sport is short-lived.
Pat took her coach's advice. She earned her BS in Business Management at Manhattanville College in New York and has a great career in business management and sales. This is on top of being an elite athlete.
Check out Pat’s LinkedIn profile and look forward to being impressed: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.neubauer.129
Question: What is your biggest source of motivation on days you don't feel like training?
Voice of the athlete: It might sound twisted. Those days barely existed. But on those days, it was more like, "Ugh...my legs are heavy from my earlier session." I felt the need to work even harder. I told myself, "If I work harder now when it hurts me the most, I will become better than anyone else out there." Very masochistic, I know.
In addition, I love a great song to keep me motivated. I like gangster rap from the East Coast.
Question: How do you mentally prepare before a race?
Voice of the athlete: Visualization helps me work through sections where I know it will get tough. I walk through this section days before the race, like the part in the run where my legs will give up.
I also have a song dedicated in my head for this race. The night and morning of, I listen to this music to keep me pumped.
However, what I have to say is that I always perform my best when I do not give a damn about the race. My movements become smooth and more effortless. Thinking a lot beforehand puts pressure on myself, and in every race, there are things one cannot predict and therefore not prepare for.
Question: Have you ever had an injury that took you away from your sport, and how did you deal with the fear of re-injury?
Voice of the athlete: Yes, I got sick with mono in Germany, which set me back two years and smashed a lot of my athletic goals. I struggled with an eating disorder at that point.
I broke my toe three times, my foot four times, and my ribs twice.
The fear of a stress fracture is always there, as the fear of a crash, but might lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, so I try not to think about it and deal with it once it happens.
Question: How did you get interested in triathlons?
Voice of the athlete: When I moved to California in 2016 from NYC, I realized I had everything here. I have running paths. I have the ocean. And I can bike around here.
So I figured… let me hire a coach who can prepare me for my first race. I took 4th place off the bat. And the rest is history :)
Question: As a triathlete, did you ever have limiting beliefs that you had to work through to take your performance to the next level?
Voice of the athlete: Of course. I compare myself with the person I was in the past, running an 18-minute 5K without effort. And now, logging maybe 22 minutes. And 20 minutes if I am really on point. Of course, this is off the swim and bike. It's challenging not to get discouraged when thinking about how fast I used to be.
Swimming in the ocean was challenging. Not only because of ocean creatures but also because ocean swimming is literally a contact sport up to the first buoy. I needed to learn how to be aggressive, even with male competitors in the water.
Question: How did you build your confidence as a triathlete?
Voice of the athlete: Placing 1st and 2nd overall wins in races built my confidence every time. This literally is the only measurement to see where you stand compared with other athletes.
Learn more about confidence: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/confidence
Pat is the founder and sales manager of Neu-Power Athletic Consulting. The organization helps underprivileged African athletes get athletic scholarships in the US.
Voice of the athlete: Pat Neubauer
Question: How did you decide to start your company, Neu-Power Athletic Consulting? How did you come up with your slogan, "Education through athletic skills, not dollar bills"?
Voice of the athlete: When I started to look into running for an American University, I had no idea how to go about it. I started researching and came across so-called "Sports Agencies." They would help me get from point A to B. The price tag started at $3,000. Coming from a middle-class family, there was no way I could afford this route. I did everything by myself. Giving up was not an option.
At the same time, I visited Kenya with my coach during a high-altitude training camp. Here in Eldoret, I saw the fastest runners in the world living in the poorest conditions. I thought about the fact of how badly American Universities would love to have these athletes and have them compete for them. The barrier was how on earth could a Kenyan afford these $3,000 -$9,000 priced agencies? There is no way.
Therefore, I started this nonprofit to help these athletes. I would act as a 'middle-man' not charging anything and connecting them with universities. Hence the slogan, 'Education through athletic skills, not dollar bills.'
Learn more about Neu-Power Athletic Consulting: http://www.neupower.org
Question: What are the three things you are most proud of in the last year?
Voice of the Athlete:
- Getting my Green Card after 11 years
- Starting Neu-Power Athletic Consulting
- Qualifying for Nationals
Listen to the Voice of the Athlete: Pat Neubauer
Takeaway #1: Pat always performs best in triathlon races when she doesn’t put a lot of pressure on herself before a race. Her movements are smoother and become effortless.
Takeaway #2: On days when her legs are sore and heavy from previous training, this is when she feels like she has to work even harder. She tells herself, “If I work harder now when it hurts me the most, I will become better than anyone else out there.”
Takeaway #3: Her coach, who was an Olympian, told her that study comes first. She always told me to never make sports your number one priority. Sport is short-lived. She took her coach's advice and earned a degree which has enabled her to have a great career in business management and sales as well as start her own company.
TAKE ACTION: VOTE FOR PAT TO WIN $20,000 and be featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine. VOTING STARTS JULY 20TH, 2020. Let your voice be heard!
Thank you, Pat Neubauer, for being the Voice of the Athlete and giving us a glimpse into the mindset of an elite triathlete. Follow Pat @patneubauer.
To listen to the voice of other athletes: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/voice-of-the-athlete/voice-of-the-athlete-claire-carter
Don’t miss out on any of the amazing athletes we feature. Follow us on Instagram @mentalaccelerator.https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/voice-of-the-athlete/voice-of-the-athlete-claire-carter
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: How much pressure do you put on yourself before a race, and does it help your performance?