Nikita Ducarroz On Being Stuck in a Room to the Feeling of Freedom
May 15, 2024
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Former soccer player Nikita Ducarroz battled severe anxiety, found solace in BMX, and now thrives as a top female BMX rider. She shares her journey from feeling stuck in a room to experiencing the freedom of riding. The podcast discusses the importance of mental training for athletes, overcoming anxiety through sports, and promoting open dialogue on mental health struggles.
Finding solace in BMX helped Nikita Ducarroz overcome severe anxiety and push through fears.
Importance of fun in peak performance - listening to music, enjoying time with friends, and maintaining a joyful mindset.
Deep dives
Nikita Dukuro's Journey from Anxiety to BMX Success
Nikita Dukuro, a top female BMX rider, overcame severe anxiety that kept her housebound by finding solace in BMX. Discovering this sport helped her push through her fears and eventually led to incredible successes, including World Cup podiums and an Olympic bronze medal.
Understanding Anxiety and Seeking Help
In the early stages of dealing with anxiety, Nikita struggled to express her feelings and found it tough to articulate her experiences to her parents. Over time, she identified her panic attacks and initial resistance to leaving the house as symptoms of severe anxiety, leading her parents to seek professional help for her condition.
Managing Panic Attacks and Support Mechanisms
During intense panic attacks, Nikita experienced complete shutdowns, unable to speak or communicate. She highlighted the importance of having a supportive presence who can offer comfort and remind her to breathe during these episodes. By emphasizing the value of simple gestures such as physical touch and shared breathing exercises, Nikita highlights the practical ways loved ones can assist during panic attacks.
The Importance of Fun and Mental Health Training
Nikita emphasizes the crucial role of fun in facilitating peak performance and mental well-being. She underscores the significance of listening to music, enjoying time with friends, and retaining a childlike sense of enjoyment to alleviate pressures and maintain a joyful mindset. Additionally, she discusses the parallels between physical and mental training, highlighting the necessity of equipping oneself with tools and strategies to manage anxiety effectively.
Nikita played soccer for most of her younger years but struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks leaving her unable to leave her home. “Forced” to play a sport, she found BMX to fulfill that rule, do it on her own time, and even in the driveway so she didn’t have to leave her home. Little did she know that BMX would soon take over every aspect of her life and become the reason she would push through her fears one step at a time.
Fast forward nine year later and Nikita now travels the world as one of the top female BMX riders. With podiums at multiple world cups since 2016, 2nd at the 2022 World Championships, and an Olympic bronze medal at the first ever inclusion of the sport, Nikita is ready to jump back into training for Paris 2024!
Nikita shares how she felt stuck in a room for so long but through her physical and mental training, she gets to experience the feeling of freedom. She chooses to use BMX and her voice to help end the stigma around mental health.
@nikita.ducarroz, @m1ndtricks
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