{"id":356578,"date":"2019-03-14T13:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T20:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=356578"},"modified":"2019-03-13T17:45:34","modified_gmt":"2019-03-14T00:45:34","slug":"olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lianne McCluskey, Swimming World College Intern.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Swimming is a competitive sport that is based around comparing your individual achievements to others. Unfortunately, sometimes this can undermine your confidence and proficiency. <\/span>While it can be advantageous to swim with others to push you harder than you could yourself, it is necessary to not be overly critical of your skill or speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Very few swimmers (and athletes in general) reach every goal they have ever set for themselves. That\u2019s the message Coach Christen Shefchunas<\/strong> shared with <\/span>Swimming World<\/span><\/i> about falling short in pursuit of your swimming dreams. As a confidence coach and former All-American swimmer, Shefchunas has worked with various athletes, namely Olympic-level female athletes, to help them handle fear, doubts and anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"katieconfidencenuggets\"

Photo Courtesy: Christen Shefchunas<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen you look at swimming, who gets to leave this sport reaching all of their dreams? There are so few,\u201d Shefchunas says. \u201cAn Olympian wins a gold medal, goes a best time and retires. For a lot of us, we don\u2019t have that happily ever after.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An important question to ask oneself is what causes race anxiety? Shouldn\u2019t you be able to believe in your ability after all of the work you put in throughout the season?<\/span><\/p>\n

Reframe Your Mindset<\/h2>\n
\"kathleen-baker-abbey-weitzeil-cal-shake-hands-pac-12-championships\"

Photo Courtesy: Chuckarelei Studios<\/p><\/div>\n

Shefchunas explains that even if we do 99 out of 100 things right, we tend to focus on the one thing we did wrong: \u201cI don\u2019t think we can truly move forward until we talk about it. Failure is embarrassing.\u201d <\/span>She believes that until we start talking about how comparison and missing our goal affects our mindset, a negative outcome will probably happen again. <\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the athletes she has met and worked with, Shefchunas has found that men tend to become more motivated by comparing themselves and their times to other swimmers, while women tend to lose confidence through comparison. <\/span>\u201cWhen we compare ourselves to another woman, it\u2019s as if they take something away from us.” <\/span><\/p>\n

Shefchunas is zealous to understand the difference between men\u2019s and women\u2019s brains when it comes to how they process competition disappointments. When it comes to women, they naturally tend to over-analyze and overthink. In fact, it\u2019s normal. <\/span>\u201cI am passionate about sharing this information so we don\u2019t sit and think, \u2018What is wrong with me?\u2019 any more than we already do,\u201d said Shefchunas. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is very important for the coach to understand the athlete’s specific personality and areas of self-doubt in order for the athlete to silence the self-defeating thoughts and grow. Sometimes, a coach hands out advice based on how their own brain works but doesn\u2019t consider the perspective of the athlete. The effectiveness of a coach’s advice depends on where the athlete\u2019s fear and doubt is coming from.<\/span><\/p>\n

Own Your Fears
\n<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"IMG_5236

Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold \/ Aringo Photos<\/p><\/div>\n

Fear – everyone experiences it, but everyone thinks they are the only one struggling, so it\u2019s never talked about. Shefchunas explains: <\/span>\u201cUntil you own it, nothing is going to work. We don\u2019t want to admit that fear because it is scary and embarrassing, so we sit there and try to pretend it\u2019s not there.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Holding on to fear further inhibits a positive experience. <\/span>\u201cOften when we have these fears and don\u2019t talk it out, it becomes an anchor inside of us. We go forward to step into our potential, and we can\u2019t move because that anchor is there inside of us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The best way to deal with comparison and self-criticism is different for each individual. When we don\u2019t do as well as someone else in a race, we ask ourselves, \u201cWhat is wrong with me?\u201d This can lead to a downward spiral in mentality and motivation. So how do we combat that negative voice inside our head?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you can ever get rid of that voice,\u201d said Shefchunas. \u201cI am lucky enough to work with some of the best [athletes] in the world, and they still have that voice. It\u2019s learning how to handle that voice when it comes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shefchunas doesn\u2019t believe in fearlessness; instead, she tries to help athletes understand the fears they have: <\/span><\/p>\n

To think you can walk into Olympic Trials fearless – I don\u2019t believe it. How do you handle those fears when they come? <\/span>When those fears and doubts come, it\u2019s like we are shining a flashlight on those things and it paralyzes us. Take that flashlight and move it over onto something more positive, to where you might actually have hope.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shefchunas says that dwelling on the \u201cwhat if\u201d moment ruins us. “Let\u2019s figure out what those ‘what ifs’ are and talk them out.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Asking ourselves, “What if?” is us trying to predict the future and going worst case scenario. We are thinking about everything that could go wrong. Athletes need to understand that they can\u2019t predict the future anyway, so they need to step back into the present moment and ask, “What do I know now?”<\/span><\/p>\n

Talk it out.<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"hali-katie-missy\"

Photo Courtesy: Christen Shefchunas<\/p><\/div>\n

The equation to improve self-confidence is not the same for everyone. \u201cAs you go, you will learn more and more about what works for you,\u201d Shefchunas states. \u201cIt\u2019s a constant process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality is that we are going to compare ourselves, so it\u2019s in those moments that we need to catch ourselves and and notice how comparison makes us feel. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about being awake in those moments to say, \u2018I am comparing myself right now. I need to pull myself back to me, my steps and my journey,\u2019\u201d said Shefchunas. \u201cI don\u2019t believe we will ever get to a point where we stop comparing ourselves. It\u2019s going to have to be you being aware of how your brain works.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An example she uses to show how athletes discredit themselves through comparison is a swimmer having a great practice but then comparing themselves to someone who they think had a better practice than they did. In this case, she encourages the athlete to bring their focus back to their own improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shefchunas has her athletes keep a confidence journal and write down at least one thing they did well at practice. They are not allowed to write times; rather, they can only write measurements of effort. By writing down that you didn\u2019t feel great at practice on a particular day but kept fighting validates a truth about yourself – that you will fight no matter what. <\/span><\/p>\n

Do what works best for you – live your truth.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Shefchunas believes it\u2019s natural to worry about what other people think of you. Many former athletes she has spoken with say that their greatest regret was not doing what was best for them because they were worried about what other people would think. <\/span>\u201cWho cares if your teammates will make fun of you for doing extra. You should do it if it feels necessary for you,\u201d she says.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Living your truth isn\u2019t about repeating positive affirmations in your head over and over again. Shefchunas says we are taught to use positive self-talk, but the problem with positive self-talk is that we usually don\u2019t believe in the words we are saying to ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are way too smart to con ourselves into believing something that we don\u2019t believe,\u201d said Shefchunas. \u201cIf we are not 100 percent sure, there is no way we can focus on our goal and not let there be doubt. You need to focus on something you truly believe about yourself.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

As a one-on-one coach, Shefchunas\u2019 role is to pull the individual back into perspective: \u201cWhen we as women are able to speak it out to balance chaos in our mind, the majority of the time we will pull ourselves back to perspective. We have the answer, but we can\u2019t find it unless we talk it out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no better remedy than communicating to find your truth. Often, speaking out loud helps us solve the problem.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cInternalizing it is what causes dysfunction,\u201d said Shefchunas. To silence the inner critic and achieve your goals, you must live your truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cComparison is the thief of joy.\u201d \u2014 Theodore Roosevelt<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

-All commentaries and research was conducted by the the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lianne McCluskey, Swimming World College Intern.\u00a0 Swimming is a competitive sport that is based around comparing your individual achievements to others. Unfortunately, sometimes this can undermine your confidence and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6853,"featured_media":357945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,1],"tags":[71055,48886,75021,53560,71066,75022],"class_list":["post-356578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-uncategorized","tag-christen-shefchunas","tag-confidence","tag-confidence-coach","tag-fear","tag-lianne-mccluskey","tag-self-doubt"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nOlympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt - Swimming World<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Swimming World\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"984\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lianne McCluskey\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lianne McCluskey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lianne McCluskey\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/2122cc77389e1df2c6ec425239353cbb\"},\"headline\":\"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\"},\"wordCount\":1435,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Christen Shefchunas\",\"confidence\",\"Confidence Coach\",\"Fear\",\"Lianne McCluskey\",\"Self-Doubt\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Commentary\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\",\"name\":\"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt - Swimming World\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png\",\"width\":984,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Photo Courtesy: Christen Shefchunas\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Swimming World\",\"description\":\"The Global Leader in Aquatic News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Swimming World\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/SWorld_BLKBKG-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/SWorld_BLKBKG-1.jpg\",\"width\":1799,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Swimming World\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/swimmingworld\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/swimmingworldmag\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SwimmingWorldSPI\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/2122cc77389e1df2c6ec425239353cbb\",\"name\":\"Lianne McCluskey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9afaae9b3753f90d9b3302601ea67237?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9afaae9b3753f90d9b3302601ea67237?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Lianne McCluskey\"},\"description\":\"Lianne McCluskey is a graduate assistant swim coach at Smith College studying Exercise & Sports Studies. She has been coaching for three years - one year as an assistant coach at Nitro Swimming, and two years as head coach of the Penobscot Bay Y Sailfish. She is a former competitive swimmer, graduating as a student-athlete from La Salle University with a bachelor\u2019s degree in communication and journalism.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/author\/lianne-mccluskey\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt - Swimming World","description":"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt","og_description":"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/","og_site_name":"Swimming World","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld","article_published_time":"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":984,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Lianne McCluskey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@swimmingworld","twitter_site":"@swimmingworld","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lianne McCluskey","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/"},"author":{"name":"Lianne McCluskey","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/2122cc77389e1df2c6ec425239353cbb"},"headline":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt","datePublished":"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/"},"wordCount":1435,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","keywords":["Christen Shefchunas","confidence","Confidence Coach","Fear","Lianne McCluskey","Self-Doubt"],"articleSection":["Commentary"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/","url":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/","name":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt - Swimming World","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","datePublished":"2019-03-14T20:00:50+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-14T00:45:34+00:00","description":"Olympic confidence coach Christen Shefchunas discusses overcoming comparison and fear of failure to have your best season.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","width":984,"height":720,"caption":"Photo Courtesy: Christen Shefchunas"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-confidence-coach-christen-shefchunas-on-overcoming-self-doubt\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Olympic Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas on Overcoming Self-Doubt"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/","name":"Swimming World","description":"The Global Leader in Aquatic News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization","name":"Swimming World","url":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/SWorld_BLKBKG-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/SWorld_BLKBKG-1.jpg","width":1799,"height":900,"caption":"Swimming World"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld","https:\/\/x.com\/swimmingworld","https:\/\/instagram.com\/swimmingworldmag\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SwimmingWorldSPI"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/2122cc77389e1df2c6ec425239353cbb","name":"Lianne McCluskey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9afaae9b3753f90d9b3302601ea67237?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9afaae9b3753f90d9b3302601ea67237?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","caption":"Lianne McCluskey"},"description":"Lianne McCluskey is a graduate assistant swim coach at Smith College studying Exercise & Sports Studies. She has been coaching for three years - one year as an assistant coach at Nitro Swimming, and two years as head coach of the Penobscot Bay Y Sailfish. She is a former competitive swimmer, graduating as a student-athlete from La Salle University with a bachelor\u2019s degree in communication and journalism.","url":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/author\/lianne-mccluskey\/"}]}},"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":"Photo Courtesy: Christen Shefchunas","source_text":"","source_url":""},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/christen-shefchunas-speaking.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p56Jja-1uLg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6853"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}