ALEXIS PRITCHARD GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO THE MIND OF A FIGHTER

Boxing Edition:

Ding Ding!! Alexis Pritchard

An insight into the mind of a fighter, how we as physiotherapists can help influence a more optimistic recovery mindset and a few cents on career progression from Olympic and Commonwealth boxer Alexis Pritchard.

Growing up, little me dreamt of being a doctor, I had my sights set on being a paediatrician and if mum and I hadn’t immigrated to New Zealand in 2000, it is highly probable that is what I would now be.

As much as moving to a new country felt like an adventure to the then sixteen-year-old me, I didn’t realise how tough the transition would be. Being a conscientious and diligent secondary school student became less of a priority and a gap year after high school felt far more exciting than the prospect of more study. I had plans of working over the summer, saving enough and doing a quintessential O.E. like all other young New Zealanders did but I didn’t do that either. Instead, I found myself walking into a boxing gym in central Auckland and getting swept up into a whole new world, I was 19 years old at the time, working as a bartender and my self-confidence and self-esteem certainly needed work. I was searching for something but could not articulate exactly what but when I hit the boxing bag for the first time I found what I was looking for. I felt powerful, I felt strong, I felt capable, I felt the joy of movement and I was hooked.

I had no intention of being an athlete let alone a boxer when I started but it just felt right so I kept going back to that boxing gym for the next 16 years. I proudly represented New Zealand at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. You don’t always end up where you think you will – and that is absolutely ok.

If you have never stepped through the ropes and got yourself punched in the face, we have experienced boxing very differently. As a spectator, what you see is people punching each other. You see blood, black eyes, cuts, split lips and you may even see knock outs. This is the outer picture; what is inside is so much more.

To me boxing is art. It is beautiful. It is brutal. It is violent. It is challenging. It is pure. It reveals your soul. It reveals what you are made of. Everything about you is tested over and over again. Your will, your heart, your courage. Your ability to rise.

Boxing is not for everyone. You must face your darkness, your demons, your insecurities and your self-doubts. It makes you go to places you didn’t think you could go. If you are not willing to figure that out and struggle through the pain of it, you will not last, you will not succeed. Boxing will chew you up and spit you out.

You need to conquer your own fears, doubts and insecurities before you can ever overcome and beat an opponent. If you are not able to stop the negative voices inside your head you are beaten before you ever step into the ring. This is where the beauty lies for me.

Cam, my boxing coach encouraged me to get going with higher education or at least find a more suitable job (than bartending) if I was going to take boxing seriously. I needed a better routine and fewer late nights. As a young athlete I ended up at the physio clinic a few times, these interactions sparked my interest in the idea that I could be a physiotherapist so after completing a Bachelor of Sports Science at Auckland University I went straight into physiotherapy. I found my groove at AUT and thrived in my studies. I had a great group of university physio friends, we shared knowledge and work, we tested each other, we supported each other, we knew we would all be

better if we pushed each other and worked together. They are part of the reason I succeeded.

After learning the ropes in a supportive environment, I found the courage to go out on my own. I wanted my patients to leave my care in better shape than they were in before they injured themselves. As physiotherapists we know movement is medicine for our tissues, and as an athlete I knew that movement and progressive loading was paramount to getting my patients into great shape after their body healed from the initial injury. My sports science knowledge was vital to helping me be a better practitioner. I would absolutely encourage further

study in sport and exercise science for physiotherapists.

I am extremely glad I found physiotherapy and practiced for 9 years. It is a wholesome career, we get to help people and make a difference to patient’s quality of life. The magic I found wasn’t always in how much we

knew, but in how we made our patients feel, and if we

made them feel heard. As physiotherapists we must remember we have so much influence in how our patients navigate mentally, physically and emotionally through injury and on their journeys to recovery. Adaptability is being able to adjust to new conditions. Survival (and ability to thrive after we feel safe) for all animals including humans is dependent on how well we can adjust to whatever is thrown at us. In our patients often it is the way they think which is either going to help or hinder them in their healing and recovery. We all have the ability to be flexible and adaptable in the way we think.

Our patients may not have had to call upon their adaptability superpower before, but it is there waiting for them to utilise it, to help them ride out a period of injury with the least amount of mental and emotional turmoil and suffering. And we can show them how.

As physiotherapists we have influence in the way our patients approach their recovery, especially in the words and language we use. Are you adding to their mental and emotional suffering (which we know affects the physical body) or are you empowering them to help themselves?

For our patients, we must remember their injury is unique to them. There are many unknowns as they may not have had this injury before. We need to remember that, especially because we often see many similar injuries so it is not new to us. Ask them what they are feeling about the injury and the recovery journey ahead - whatever they are feeling is valid. I believe a big part of our work is to influence our patients' mindset, not only fix body parts.

How we can help with mindset:

Influence Radical Acceptance – They can either accept their current situation or they can push and fight against it. Resistance will probably lead to more feelings of frustration, fearfulness, annoyance, unfairness, anger, sadness, resentment, bitterness… and the list can go on. Rejecting reality does not change it; rejecting reality turns pain into suffering. When there is no way to change the immediate situation we can influence radical acceptance. This means accepting the things we cannot change even if we don’t like them. We need to stop fighting and accept

our situation with our hearts, minds and bodies. Suggest, when they speak about their injury, they speak with a halfsmile and position their hands palms facing upward (willing hands). Life is worth experiencing as best as we

possibly can even with painful events in it.

Encourage Optimism – Optimism is defined as seeking ways to emphasise the good parts of a situation and nurture hopefulness for the future. Cultivating an optimistic outlook has been proven to reduce the effects of stress on our bodies and minds, our immune systems cope better and it can decrease the levels of anxiety. Being injured and in pain can take us to a miserable place if we let it, which does not help our recovery. Those who lean into optimism are not delusional, they see and accept the truth of the reality and look forward to a different and brighter future, this hope keeps them moving forward. We can help create optimism by encouraging them to acknowledge the good parts of their situation and helping them to be kind to themselves. Here are two ways they can try the kindness to self: One, consciously change negative self-talk: teach them to flip the thoughts in their head immediately by replacing the unhelpful ones with more supportive ones. E.g. I trust myself and my body to heal and I will get back to my normal activities. Two, intentionally stop unhelpful rumination: To help me

do this, I usually make space to move my body, perhaps putting on some music and dancing either on the floor or seated. Distraction is also a good tool to employ –encourage them to do something they enjoy, draw, bake, clean, listen to music – whatever feels good to them.

Our Language matters – Not only the words we use but how we express them, the tone and body language are equally important, they can significantly influence our patients thoughts and feelings. So, let’s mind our language to others and ourselves (our thoughts). What words are you choosing to use when describing an injury? What words are chosen when talking about recovery? Are you fear-mongering? Are you catastrophizing? My hope is you are not.

Lastly career wise, you don’t need to have it all sorted and know exactly where you are going to end up, everything you do is a stepping stone to the next. Being a physiotherapist has helped shape my work as a Mental Skills and Performance Coach. My message is to continue doing the work that makes you feel good, that gives you joy and fits within your values as a human. Continue to trust your instincts, be bold and courageous. Do things differently. Want more for yourself. Know your worth. Look after your health and wellbeing and lastly move your bodies!

Alexis Pritchard lex@rebuildwithlex.co.nz

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