From Interviews to Insights: What Olympians Taught Me During My Internship
4/14/2026 3:01:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
At the University of Michigan, I'm surrounded by elite athletes everywhere I look. I pass by former Olympians on the way to class and lift alongside future professional athletes in the weight room. As a student-athlete myself, I recognize the dedication and resilience it takes to reach the highest level. Yet there's something about Olympians that makes them different from college athletes like me, or even those who are casually active. Natural talent, luck, and proper resources all have an impact, but there's a deeper level of athleticism rooted in grit, resilience, and a competitive fire. In my internship with Back the Team, I found that another answer exists, and it lies within the mind.
Back the Team is a mentorship organization that provides young athletes with one-on-one mentorship from Olympians. My internship with the marketing team focused on growing the organization's social media and blog presence. I had the incredible opportunity to interview Olympic athletes and tell their stories. It truly was a one-of-a-kind experience.
One of the reasons I love writing is that it has the power to encourage and uplift others. I wanted to connect young athletes to the inspiring stories of Olympians. Especially around the Olympics, I recognize that encouragement can make all the difference in whether an athlete continues to pursue their dreams.
I initially expected young athletes to find the stories of Olympians hard to relate to. Surely Olympians face challenges young athletes can't comprehend? It turns out they struggle just the same, if not more. What makes Olympians great is not the absence of struggles, fears, or self-doubt, but an innate ability to move forward and do it anyway.
Take ski jumper Paige Jones, for example, who jumps off ski hills as high as 482 feet. She admits she feels anxiety whenever she faces a jump from a new height, but embraces a mindset that allows her to attack that fear head-on.
"The fear is always there, but I think a lot of what makes a good ski jumping athlete is being able to go and do it anyway," says Jones.
Or ski mountaineer Anna Gibson, who replaces self-doubt with an optimistic perspective.
"For me, I try to set my mindset early. I think, 'What if we succeed? What if we win? What if I'm out in front?' instead of spiraling into a 'What if I crash, what if I break a pole, what if I get a penalty?' mindset," Gibson said.
As athletes, we choose what we focus on. We can choose to focus on the good or the bad. It's all about how we view our circumstances.
I thought this internship was going to be about making an impact on the next generation of athletes. And it was. But the most extraordinary part was how these stories impacted me.
I underwent surgery last winter and have struggled with fear of reinjury since. I thought something was wrong with me because I kept experiencing self-doubt and fear. However, the perspective I gained from Olympians' stories reminded me that fear is normal, but how I respond and continue to show up is what matters most.
And that's why we love sports, isn't it? Sports are a metaphor for life. They build motivation and resilience, both of which we need when life, or our sport, knocks us down.
The Olympics have come and gone, but the mentality Olympic athletes carry with them each day remains the same: fight the fear, show up every day, choose to focus on the good, and believe in yourself. Olympian or not, we can all take a lesson from that.
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