I need some help for a newbie in her first comp

[ClayEdgin]

My wife's best friend (and my best friend's wife) has been training her butt off for the contest I'm putting on this weekend. None of her family or friends thinks she has what it takes to go through with something like this, and that is one of the primary reasons she is doing it - to prove them wrong. So, 2-3 times a week she comes out and presses, deadlifts, flips tires, and loads stones and kegs.

I think she has the physical ability to complete all of the events but what is really bothering her is the mental aspect of competition. She's VERY anxious about having everyone's eyes on her. It is partly her being scared of failing and partly being self-conscious about what she's doing out there in the first place.

She's considered pulling out of the contest but I told her that if she quits, then all those naysayers will be right and they'll never let her forget it. That lit a serious fire under her!

What I'm looking for is advice that I can give her on contest day to help calm her nerves. I was thinking about saying something along the following lines:

"Look, I know you're really nervous about being in public doing this and there are 3 ways you can handle it - you can curl up into a ball and quit so nobody sees you, you can be intimidated by the pressure of everyone's eyes on you, or you can use their cheering and support to help you achieve more than you could on your own. You've come too far to stop now! There are people in your life who don't think you can do this, but there are 100 strangers out here today to see you succeed. They want to see what hard work and setting goals can accomplish and you've definitely been putting in some hard work. All that anxiety, all that nervousness, all that tension goes away the instant you pick up a bar or begin to flip that tire. In fact, you may even forget that there are people cheering you until you finish the event. You know you can do this!"

Or maybe something less Disney-esqe. Thoughts?

[Paul Neuhaus]

Clay,
I think that's a great speech to give her. Because her nerves will be shot, she probably won't eat much that morning. I had the same problem at my first contest. So, I cut up some honey-dew melon and cantaloupe to snack on between events, even if I wasn't hungry. Also, tell her to sit down and relax between events. I was so anxious and nervous, that I wasted energy by pacing around between events. Also, tell her to be a little anti-social with famaily and friends until the contest is over. This should help her calm down, if she can just sit in a chair, snack on some fruit, and collect her thoughts between events. At my first contest, I told my in-laws and my friends before the contest even started that I wouldn't be in a chatty mood until it was over. If there are "naysayers" at the contest, she especially needs to stay away from them. They might make stupid comments like "why couldn't you flip that tire?" "what happened there?" "I thought you were stronger than that". She only needs to be around positive people like her husband, you, and your wife.

So, to sum it up...
Be antisocial until it's over.
Bring some fruit, granola bars, and fluids.
Sit and calm down between events.

Tell her one more thing... If these women can do it, so can you.

I rarely ever drink. But, on contest-eve, I'll have 2 beers to calm my nerves and help me get to sleep. Big Tony gave me that advice.

[Scott Porter]

Does she have any sort of competitive background?

One thing that's cool about strongman is that everyone is very supportive of each other. I don't even know this woman but I'll be right there cheering for her on every event. Assure her that everyone wants to see her succeed. Success in her case is not necessarily finishing an event, but giving 100% effort and having fun.

For first-time competitors, it's not about how you do or what you place. It's about the effort and having fun. It's about getting your feet wet.

I think she should be doing it for herself, but if doing it to prove naysayers wrong that she can do it is motivation, even better.

As far as nerves, I still get them before any sort of competition.

[WILL NEWLAND]

I`ve got my first comp sat.
I`ve gat a 500 mile round trip for this event :BB:

[CharlesDMickey]

If she wants another woman to talk to about "nerves" I can ask my wife about it. I know she was VERY nervous at her first contest. I'm not sure the nerves will be much better at her second (AZ).

[DaneGarreau]

I was pretty nervous at my first competition. I had a lot of family there and i really didn't want to embarass myself.

Once I got set up and in the zone for the first event my mind went blank and I didn't know anyone else was there. I wouldn't really call myself a competitor before this, all I had done previously was tee-ball.

Just tell her to focus and let the adrenaline work for her, not against her.

[ClayEdgin]

Good advice guys, thanks.

I told her that she may be nervous until she starts to move the weight and then that just disappears and she will fall back on her training and just instictively do what is necessary. And that the crowd will be drowned out unless you choose to listen to them. She didn't think that was possible, but we all know how lifting in public changes your focus into a laserbeam.

[kara]

sorry if i'm too late. scott is right about everyone being supportive and i think she'll be pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by strangers who are more encouraging than her own family or friends. tell her she'll probably still be a bit nervous at first, even pros still experience that, but once the competition gets going she's gonna have so much fun she'll forget about her friends and family watching...but she can look forward to them later complaining that she didn't talk to them enough or pay attention to them after the contest cuz she was too busy making new cool friends :I:

also tell her to really enjoy this contest and don't waste a second of it being tense! you only get ONE first contest where there's no pressure for placing, titles, records, or PRs. can't wait to hear how it goes!