Superstitions that drive us to victory

SACRAMENTO

For Sacramento State gymnast Nicole Meiller, wrapping her hands, spraying her wrists with different perfumes, or doing a little dance before her events were absolutely essential in her competitions. Without these superstitions, Meiller said she wouldn’t be mentally prepared for winning.

“It’s like muscle memory at that point,” Meiller said. “If you didn’t do it, it was awkward and strange, and it really threw you off mentally.”

Julia Konner, a teammate of Meiller’s, said she wasn’t the only person who had strange, pre-competition routines. Konner said the whole team has rituals that had to be done to get their heads in the game.

“One thing that we started doing last year was taking a drop or two of honey,” Konner said. “We would always do that because that was always just a little bit of sugar that got everyone really pumped and it kind of became a habit.”

These athletes all know that it might seem crazy, but to them, it’s just doing whatever it takes to win. Kelly Simmons, a Fresno State swimmer, said these superstitions are like mind over matter.

“Having something that can kind of be that backbone for you when you can’t rely on your body, but you can rely on your mind, it kind of just gets you through the meet,” Simmons said.

To athletes like Meiller, Konner, and Simmons, these superstitions are only there to help them feel more confident that they are capable of winning.

“Doing this routine beforehand just made it more comfortable for me that it would, I don’t know, help me in some way to have a good day,” Meiller said.