Marie Sadler part 4
January 16, 2010 at 4:18 pm | Posted in Inspiration | Leave a commentTags: 247swim, 4, four, Inspiration, juicy lucy, marie sadler, part
This was written for me by a swimming coach and a very good friend of ours Juicy Lucy from the UK swimclub.
Marie Sadler – part 4
Next day was a rest day for her but she was at the pool in the afternoon. Again, with her strange home-made ‘umbrella’. Once more everyone was looking at her. It was about 3.00 pm and Marie was sitting again on the balcony.
She pointed out to me a shadow that was falling across the pool, which was caused by the main building. She’d checked to see what time her 100m final would be the following day. She explained that at 3.00 pm tomorrow she would be swimming the 100m fly. She was so excited to see the shadow fall across her lane (lane 4). This was to be her ‘marker’. She said, “That shadow will tell me I’m eight strokes from the finish. Eight strokes without breathing. What an advantage I’ll have over the others.”
I watched the next day as she won the 100m fly. The last eight strokes were just as planned, without breathing. The surprising thing to me was that she expected to win. There was no doubt in her mind that she would do so.
I later helped Marie to put a book together called ‘Champion Thinking’. Unfortunately she tried to promote this book herself but didn’t have the experience or know-how to do it properly. The ASA bought hundreds of copies off her and distributed them through the Association’s shop. (I did have several copies but have given them all away – sorry about that, I could have sent you one).
Marie was a great believer in doing everything right. Just like champion swimmers, everything is planned to the last detail. She worked closely with a sports psychologist in Devon who showed her many techniques of how to prepare mentally. As I said, she was mentally tough. Looking back I think she overdid it, but admittedly, she got the results.
It’s the thing about being different to the crowd that impressed me most of all. She kept saying that she never listened to what she called, ‘Dream Stealers.’ These were other swimmers who tried to put doubt into their own minds and also hers about what could be achieved, and more often than not, what couldn’t. If somebody on poolside told her that they didn’t feel well, or that their shoulders were sore, Marie would walk away from them. She’d rather sit on her own than listen to swimmers who lacked confidence in their own ability. She only wanted to hear positive talk around her.
Marie Sadler part 3
January 15, 2010 at 8:31 pm | Posted in Inspiration | Leave a commentTags: 247swim, 3, Inspiration, marie sadler, Motivation, part, swimming, three, tips
This was written for me by a swimming coach and a very good friend of ours Juicy Lucy from the UK swimclub.
Marie Sadler – part 3
Looking back I can realise it took enormous nerve to do such a thing, to put yourself up as the centre of ridicule. Marie explained that evening, that the sports psychologist suggested she should do it. He told her that people would look at you in amazement, but also they would question whether they themselves were doing things right by being in the hot sun all day, just before a major competition. The next day at the pool I saw about a dozen swimmers holding scarves or towels above their heads as they walked round the pool. They drew the line at making a metal frame fixed to their shoulders, but it was clear that this mad Englishwoman had influenced them.
Marie’s second day at the pool was equally bizarre. She positioned herself in the balcony at the front, near to the starter. The ridiculous sun shade was again positioned above her head and she was watched by everyone as she timed the start of the men’s 50m freestyle. Stopwatch in left hand and notepad on her lap. The 50m events on all strokes at masters meets are always well attended. There were 120 heats in the mens 50 free. Marie timed every one. Not the swims, but the period between the starter saying , “Take your marks” and firing his pistol.
She was so excited when I joined her mid-way through this exercise. She pointed out to me that the time between ‘marks’ and firing his gun was exactly 1.9 seconds. She noted that 18 starts out of every 20 were timed at 1.9 seconds. She was getting really excited and told me that knowing this would give her a great advantage in the 50 fly, which was to be her first event. She turned around to tell the people sitting behind her that she was heading back to the hotel to practice her starts! This was yet another occasion when the other swimmers were talking about her. You may think these is the actions of a nutter, and you are probably right, but read on…
I was sure that during the evening, over a drink or two, masters swimmers all around us would be talking about her. We were eating, that evening, at one of the restaurants in the town and I could see that people were talking about Marie. Again, at the big masters meets abroad, the restaurants are full of swimmers, and everyone is friendly. (This is probably the best part of masters swimming!). Marie pointed out to me an ex-Olympic swimmer. It was a German woman named Barbara Gellrich. She told me that this German was her main opponent and that they had both entered the 50 and 100m fly. Having seen Marie become the focus of everyone’s attention I was terrified at what she would do in the restaurant. Actually, she behaved herself, much to my relief.
Marie won the 50m fly. She swam in the 40-44 years age group and her time was a new world record and faster than all women in all age groups from 25 years upwards.
Marie Sadler Part 1
January 11, 2010 at 5:16 pm | Posted in Inspiration | Leave a commentTags: 1, 247swim, championships, Inspiration, juicy lucy, marie sadler, masters, one, part, story, swimming
This was written for me by a swimming coach and a very good friend of ours Juicy Lucy from the UK swimclub.
MARIE SADLER- PART 1
A few years ago I arranged forums with Marie Sadler, former masters world record holder and world champion over 50 and 100m butterfly.
I’ll tell you all about Marie and how she approached her swimming. She was the most focused swimmer I’ve ever met. As a masters swimmer she was the best in the world but earlier, as an age-grouper swimming for Halesowen, she was a good average club swimmer, nothing special.
I met up with her in Mallorca a few years back. The occasion was the European Masters championships. At the big masters meets abroad, the hotels near the pool are taken over by swimmers from all countries. Marie happened to be at the same hotel as our swimmers. I spoke to her for a few hours one evening, just after we’d arrived. She explained how she had met a sports psychologist a year before and went through, in great detail, what he’d told her. This guy had worked with the world’s top athletes and swimmers. He seemed to travel between America and Australia all the time, just spending a few hours with the athletes telling them how to compete properly.
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