Meet two Olympians who know what it takes to succeed … and when the pressure to perform is just too much.
Medal Heads (L-R) Rebecca Soni and Caroline Burckle help young athletes get into an Olympian headspace. Both are Olympic medalists in swimming. Photo credit: David Kafer
From Tiger Woods to the Williams sisters to Wayne Gretzky, the list of professional athletes whose journey to athletic stardom started at a young age is long. And when you see your child excelling at a sport, it’s hard not to wonder, even a little: Are they next? Then, the other questions come. Are they feeling too much pressure to succeed? Are they over-training, feeling stressed or lacking confidence in their abilities? Olympians Rebecca Soni and Caroline Burckle faced tough questions like these throughout their careers as competitive swimmers. They know the road to success for young, up-and-coming athletes isn’t always easy. The physical and mental demands of being involved in sports on a highly competitive level can be challenging to endure—especially when academics must be juggled too. That’s why they founded RISE Athletes in 2015.