Sports Psychology
"In training, everyone focuses on 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental, but in the races it's 90 percent mental, because there's very little that seperates us physically at the elite level."
Elka Graham, Legendary Swimmer
Like all top athletes around the world, Elka Graham recognized that in order to achieve great things in her chosen sport, she not only needed talent and physical ability, but also mental strength to fulfill her full potential. Sports psychology has played a major part in her success, which she readily admits.
Elka spent almost 7 years at the top of world swimming. A dual Olympian, she also won medals from World Championships, Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and Pan Pacific championships.
Elka has clocked both Australian and Commonwealth records including the Australian 400m Freestyle short course record, which she held for over five years. In 2001 she recorded the world’s fastest swim for the 200m Freestyle and was officially ranked Number 1 in the world. Between 2001-2004 she was consistently in the Top 3 in the world for both the 200m and 400m Freestyle.
In 2003, Elka survived a month in hospital after being diagnosed with a worrying heart condition. Yet her positive mindset saw her win Gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m at the World Cup just a month after her release from hospital, marginally missing world record times.
Elka ended her swimming career with no less than 10 Australian Championship Gold medals (both long and short course). She came home with a medal from every meet in which she ever competed apart from Athens (when she finished 4th in the 4 x 200m relay).
Reflecting on ‘now and then’ Elka says: “I was so happy with everything I achieved in swimming and it’s still amazing to know I reached number one in the world for my pet discipline. I still remember the day I received that confirmation in my letterbox."
Elka spent almost 7 years at the top of world swimming. A dual Olympian, she also won medals from World Championships, Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and Pan Pacific championships.
Elka has clocked both Australian and Commonwealth records including the Australian 400m Freestyle short course record, which she held for over five years. In 2001 she recorded the world’s fastest swim for the 200m Freestyle and was officially ranked Number 1 in the world. Between 2001-2004 she was consistently in the Top 3 in the world for both the 200m and 400m Freestyle.
In 2003, Elka survived a month in hospital after being diagnosed with a worrying heart condition. Yet her positive mindset saw her win Gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m at the World Cup just a month after her release from hospital, marginally missing world record times.
Elka ended her swimming career with no less than 10 Australian Championship Gold medals (both long and short course). She came home with a medal from every meet in which she ever competed apart from Athens (when she finished 4th in the 4 x 200m relay).
Reflecting on ‘now and then’ Elka says: “I was so happy with everything I achieved in swimming and it’s still amazing to know I reached number one in the world for my pet discipline. I still remember the day I received that confirmation in my letterbox."
