Any athlete who makes it to the Olympics has achieved an incredible feat, one that very few get to experience.

But the pressure on the Olympic stage can become a serious mental hurdle to clear, and athletes must be prepared to handle the heat.

That’s why a lot of Olympians are journaling their way to the top.

100 metre Olympic Champion Julien Alfred wrote her victory into being the morning of the explosive final, penning the words “Julien Alfred, Olympic Champion.” Hours later, the gold and national record were hers, and in fine style, 10.72 seconds.

Around the bend from St. Lucia is America’s Anna Hall, who used journaling to improve her mental resilience ahead of her second shot at qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Breaking her foot at the U.S. Olympic trials at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and then undergoing knee surgery in January 2024, just a few months before trials for the Paris Olympics, Hall had to develop inner fortitude to keep her head in the game.

“This is my event, my title, my spot. I’m gonna take it” she wrote down. “I’ve done everything I could possibly do to get here. Now it’s time to have fun.”

“Today I become an Olympian” was her affirmation before she took the track, and the rest of the story unfolded in her favour.

Male athletes are no strangers to the pen and paper, with Englishman Zharnell Hughes also testifying to the power of journal entries.

Off the track, Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers journals her performance after each jump in her “Little Book of Gold”. It became routine for the Australian, helping her to win nine out of ten competitions in a single year.

Olyslagers’ post-jump ritual involves noting down technical advice, motivational quotes, and personal reflections .

Perhaps more Olympians will take a page from their counterparts to seal more wins for their country.