Today is exactly one week until we leave for China! Everyone is feeling really anxious. We are so proud of our product that we can't wait to compete. This week we have a little extra help on deck. One of our coach's '96 Gold Medalist teammates is helping us. Her specialty is putting emotion and feeling into the routines. She was an awesome performer to watch while she was competing and actually still performs in an underwater mermaid show in Las Vegas. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and I feel like that's so true for our sport. When she demonstrates how she wants us to move or what kind of feeling we should put behind the choreography, I really get it.

This week I also have to move out of my apartment! Thank goodness two of my 2004 teammates came over to help me pack some boxes. It's so cool that I can still count on them. It's so hard to put energy into anything else but training right now! I have always considered myself focused on my Olympic goals, but the closer and closer we get to it, the less and less I think about anything else at all hours of the day. It's even getting harder to fall asleep at night. I have been getting tips on how to deal with that from our mental coach. He'll be traveling with us to China also, and I'm glad he is. I am not worried about freaking out or anything, but I just really value his advice, and he gives awesome vibes.

As we near the end of our regular training here at home, I am feeling even more grateful for all the people that help us, whether it's everyday, or if they can only fly in every once in a while. I am going to be writing a lot of thank you notes in September!

 

Andrea Nott is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This blog was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.