Marco Koch likes variation and trying different things, both in training and in life. So when he heard hypnosis therapist Simone Lücke giving a talk at his club, he decided to give it a shot. Starting at the end of 2013, he’s had hypnosis sessions with her about once a month ever since, and if his recent results are anything to go by, it’s been a masterstroke – in 2015 he enjoyed his best year ever, winning his first 200 breast world title in Kazan and doing the 100-200 double at the SC Euros in Israel.
“When you’re competing against the best in the world, everyone’s training really hard, so every little thing can make a difference,” he says. “Hypnosis has helped me to relax, and to bring the positive feeling I have in training to my competitions. I’ve even used it for technical things like improving my wall approaches and turns.”
So how exactly can hypnosis help a swimmer? By getting into the unconscious mind. “The mind is like an iceberg,” says Simone, “with the conscious mind like the 10% tip that shows above the water, compared with the 90% below the surface. This 90% is the unconscious mind, and this is where we find our true selves. By tapping into the unconscious mind through hypnosis, we can undo the limitations that…
