Andrelina Hsu Week 11 - Stability in Strength

Stability in Strength

In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about the power that lies within perseverance and resilience when it comes to athleticism. However, I find it just as important to argue the other side, about the equally as important role that strength plays in sports as well.

In the 2024 Winter X-Games that took place just over two weeks ago in Aspen, Colorado, many fresh and young athletes were brought into the spotlight with their incredible skills. Nevertheless, a large number of reigning champions still dominated most of the categories. Chloe Kim, a Korean American, who has been in the snowboarding scene for quite a while, took first place in the halfpipe category. Born in the year 2000 and earning a heaping total of 12 gold medals at the mere age of 23 (5 more in past Winter X Games, 2 in the Winter Olympics, 2 in the Winter Youth Olympics, and 2 in the World Championships), Kim is undeniably one of the top female snowboarders in the entire world.



    Her success can be attributed to a number of factors, including natural-born talent, a diligent mindset, and most importantly, physical endurance. Since I first started snowboarding many years ago, I’ve realized the sheer amount of physical strength it takes to be proficient in this sport. Not only is it heavily lower-body focused as it requires a high amount of muscles to navigate the sharp turns, but the balance it takes to maintain control of your board is also pivotal when snowboarding. Therefore, even when Kim is not on the snow, she is training her body to be prepared to be on the board. Going to the gym daily and doing lateral lunges, pistol squats, and many more exercises allows her to not only build up leg muscle but also improve stability in each leg, which has proven to be the key driving force that allows her to constantly earn medal after medal.

As much of a mental mindset it is to get oneself up each morning, go to the gym, train, and repeat, the physical vigor and energy it takes a person’s body to actually do it cannot be understated. It is undeniably not something an ordinary person can do on a daily basis. In this way, as much of a mental challenge it is to succeed in not just snowboarding but in the many different types of sports in general, it is equally of a physical challenge. While muscles can be argued to be hereditary and naturally gifted, anyone can start anytime to build up their strength.


                                Image credits: chloe-kim-celebrate_hpMain_20220209-213251.jpg




Comments

  1. Rohan BhagraFebruary 16, 2024 at 2:37 PM

    Hi Andrelina! Thank you for sharing this inspiring blog on snowboarding. While I wasn't sure what I would learn when I clicked on your blog, the thorough descriptions that you provided allowed me to learn a lot about the sport of snowboarding and the story of one of its top competitors. I was especially surprised to learn that she has won so many accolades at such a young age, especially in a sport where it seems that experience is one of the most important keys to success. I also appreciated that you discussed the mental aspect of the sport, as that is one of the most important, but often most overlooked aspects of professional sports. It was inspiring to learn about the mental fortitude of these athletes.

    Because your blog clearly explained why mental mindset is so important in sports, I wanted to discuss it further. As I watch a lot of professional sports, I have learned that sports teams have recently started to hire phycologists so that their athletes have a resource to build mental fortitude. Additionally, in sports, there is a saying that half of the game is physical, and the rest is mental. Because teams have started to realize this and understand the professionals can help build mental strength, there has been a movement in how the impact of mindset in sports is understood. And as you mentioned, often times, it is just as important to be physically talented as it is to have the mindset to train everyday.

    I appreciate that you shared this blog which shared a strong message about the importance of physical strength, hard work, and dedication in sports. The story of Chloe Kim was interesting to read about and inspiring to learn, so I am excited to see how much success she achieves in the future as she gets even better.

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  2. Peter ShrFebruary 20, 2024 at 9:08 PM

    Hi Andrelina! Having read your previous blog as well as this one regarding the importance of perseverance versus physical strength regarding sports showed me how carefully you consider the circumstances. It is great to see the nuances and complexities be analyzed for both sides of the discussion. Moreover, I appreciate how detailed you went in listing the achievements and work ethic of Chloe Kim. When competing at the highest level in any sport, a strong mentality simply is not enough for one to stand out. Because the world’s population is so large, competition is much more intense. You noted that Chloe Kim has “natural-born talent,” and it speaks volumes about how professional athletes are successful not just due to their work ethic but also luck. In this way, I agree with this blog that strength plays an undeniable role in achieving success in sports. You also described the dedication Chloe Kim has to her body, training her lower body strength even outside of the snow. This, on the other hand, serves to exemplify the importance of commitment. In a previous blog, I also touched on the tension between these two subjects. With my example of Shaq and Kobe in addition to your blog, it is safe to say that both physical and mental strength are essential. From the perspective of a basketball fan, physical strength serves more as a minimum requirement for athletes while mental strength differentiates the rankings of players within the league.

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  3. Allison February 20, 2024 at 9:38 PM

    Hi Andrelina! I like how you chose to focus on snowboarding again this week. It shows your passion for the sport and I’m impressed that you snowboard as well! Being able to connect something you are so familiar with and pull out meaningful information from it makes the message you are trying to convey all the stronger. I knew snowboarding was a difficult sport but your blog makes me truly be able to appreciate the energy that goes into being a good skateboarder. Like all sports, training is important; doing lateral lunges and pistol squats, along with other exercises, every single day sounds extremely tiring. However, the reward of this training, the success, and the medals make all this exercise worth it. The mental mindset to commit to the exercises required to reach the goal of a skilled skateboarder reminds me of how important it is to train not just for professional sports but for general exercise. I have strategized numerous times to dedicate a certain amount of time to physical activities and I’ve never been able to maintain a consistent schedule of these activities that are so important for our health. Your blog and the achievements of Chloe Kim are quite inspirational, setting a good example of what endurance can accomplish. It is impressive how important endurance is not only to sports but to other day-to-day activities as well. For instance, endurance may be what is allowing us to keep up with the heavy workload of Ap Lang! Although your blog has shown that we may not have the level of dedication shown by champions such as Chloe Lim, we can indeed work towards improving our mindsets.

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