The Rituals and Superstitions of a Champion
What makes an athlete win? There’s genetics, a regimented training programme, and a team of professionals building these superhumans. But what about their unique rituals and superstitions? Glorious investigates.
By Ellë Bolland
Roaring crowds and clinking medals, split seconds and nail-biting penalties – all part of the final stage of what athletes have been training for; a sheer moment in time compared with the minutes, hours, months, years of physical and mental devotion to get to this point. But is there a third layer of existence left unconsidered here? Is every turn of events predetermined by the supernatural powers of fate? We speak with athletes who place their bets on lucky charms to gain that extra 1% against their opponents.
Sport is an art of controlling the controllables; for an athlete in training this means controlling physical output while balancing adequate recovery, including other factors like nutrition and sleep. On the field, it means turning a blind eye to the things beyond their control, such as the weather, a bad call from the referee or foul play from an opponent. Let these get to you and you risk compromising your own performance and losing the fight. You control the controllables.
In a similar vein, there’s strong evidence to show that it’s the athletes fighting for the additional 1% that take home the win – just look at British Cycling after Sir Dave Brailsford became Performance Director in 2003. Team GB started to top the medal tables like never before with standout performances amongst the women’s and the men’s disciplines, including that of 5 time gold medalist and the world’s most decorated female cyclist, Laura Kenny. We went from winning just a single gold medal in a 76-year history, to winning 7 out of 10 gold medals available in track cycling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and matching that at the London Olympics just 4 years later. How did Brailsford do this? By applying the philosophy of marginal gains to the British Cycling team. He banked on the principle that if he could break down everything that could go into competing on a bike, then each of these elements could be improved by 1%, they would achieve an aggregated increase in performance.
From experimenting in a wind tunnel, to analysing the mechanics area where bikes were being maintained, from bringing their own mattresses and pillows to events to ensure athletes could sleep in the same posture every night – incremental improvements were made across the board to give every ounce of an advantage over the opponent. It worked, but as other teams catch onto this approach, It begs the question of whether there’s something else giving athletes that mental edge.
Top athletes have always and still turn their attention to something more intangible – rituals and superstitions. Think tattoo’s, lucky charms, pre-race routines and game day meals, even race outfits. Rumour has it that Serena (Williams) refused to change her socks when she’s on a winning streak with them throughout tournaments, while Laura Kenny also had some superstitions around her feet, stepping on a wet towel before races after once winning a junior race while wearing a wet sock. No wonder they call it athlete’s foot…
The power, of course, is metaphysical and arguably rather irrational, but its power to transform the mindset of athletes cannot be disputed. Researchers have found that people who believe they have luck on their side feel greater “self-efficacy” – the belief that we’re capable of doing what we set out to do – boosting both mental and in turn physical performance versus those without the presence of a lucky charm. In one study, some golfers were told that their ball was “lucky” while others had “normal” balls. Those that were told theirs were lucky did better than those who weren’t told that.
Similarly, best-selling Human Performance & Sports Psychologist, Dr Gregg Steinberg, observed the impact of lucky charms in his time as an athlete. “Athletes never know how they’re going to play, how the other team is going to play, so when you do something that’s superstitious, like wearing a trinket, it gives you a greater sense of control”, he tells CNN. It makes sense when you consider the emotions and anxiety that competition induces for athletes. When we’re emotional and anxious, we can become irrational, letting our thoughts run away with us and allow the entrance of self-doubt.
When we use coping mechanisms or techniques such as meditation or cognitive restructuring, we gain more control of our thoughts. In a similar way that we place our faith in invisible forces, it can divert our attention away from pre-competition emotions and athletes may be able to cultivate confidence in their lucky charms. On this topic of controlling pre-competition nerves, there’s one man that needs no introduction… diving prodigy, Tom Daley, made headlines for his poolside knitting during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “My coach said to me that I needed to learn how to unwind better and to rest and recover. Knitting is literally the only time when my mind is pretty much silent – I find it to be a great form of mindfulness and a way of escaping the competition for a while!”.
It’s also a known fact that footballing legend and former England captain, David Beckham, would always wear a new pair of football boots every game for good luck, as well as performing a series of ceremonial rituals which he believes to have aided his performance on the pitch. He confessed, “Whether it’s before a match or not, I have to have everything in a straight line, or everything has to be in pairs”.
There’s an interesting conversation on the difference between rituals and routines. While Daley’s knitting forms his pre/mid-competition routine, Beckham’s compulsive trait to have everything in straight lines is more of a ritual. What’s the difference? “Everything done in a routine serves a specific and practical function in that readiness process. For example, a physical and technical warm-up and a review of tactics for an upcoming competition are all essential for total preparation. In contrast, a ritual is associated with superstitions and is often made up of things that have no practical impact on performance, for instance, wearing lucky socks or following a specific route to the competition site”, Jim Taylor Ph.D writes for Psychology Today.
“Routines can also be adjusted should the need arise; for example, if you arrive late to the competition, you can shorten your routine and still get prepared. Rituals, though, are rigid and ceremonial. Athletes can believe that rituals must be done or they will not perform well. You control routines, but rituals control you”. Team GB gymnast, Becky Downie, illustrates this practical function of a routine. She tells Glorious, “I don’t have a lucky charm as such – I’m just super organised with my competition gear!”.
If you were to look through Team GB Artistic Swimming duo Kate and Izzy’s kit bags, you’d find Izzy’s model turtle and Kate’s ‘Lucky Bobby.’ The pair have travelled with these lucky charms since their very first Nationals together, and the figurines have accompanied them to every competition since. When I ask if they believe the charms bring them luck, Kate laughs, “Who knows?! But he comes with me!” We’d bet these two trinkets are currently sitting in the Olympic Village, ready to be packed into a kit bag for the girls to take to the pool when they compete on Saturday evening.
Other athletes, such as GB rower and silver medalist at Paris 2024, Esme Booth, go as far as being sceptical of lucky charms, “I’m too worried that if I was so attached to it, then if I forgot to bring it, then I’d be destined for an ‘unlucky’ race! For me, I feel I’m in a better mindset ahead of a race if I follow my own processes and make a plan for achieving a given result. That said, my teddy, Oodle, comes to every country with me – I don’t sleep too well without her”. While Booth may not depend on trinkets to bring faith on her side, there remains the argument that the body can benefit from the emotional comfort of a lucky charm. Her crewmate, three-time Olympic medalist, Helen Glover, similarly finds comfort in sentimental objects. The first mother to compete for the GB Rowing Team tells us, “I have a bracelet my kids made for me – Logan (age 5), Kit and Bo (both aged 4) made this for me and I’ve been wearing it for racing all season and will wear it at the Olympics”. So is it pragmatic routines and processes which bring success, the metaphysical power of rituals and lucky trinkets, or is it purely down to one’s ability to control their mind?
rituals & routine
While I’m no Olympic athlete, I can personally vouch for the comfort in sticking to practised processes, for example while I was training for the 2024 London Marathon. Those that have trained for marathons will know how regimented you have to be for those long training runs. Running at 8am? It’s a big bowl of oats at 5:30. Been running on oats for the first 6 weeks of training? I wouldn’t dare mess around with bagels for week 7 – it would be too risky to experiment with a different routine at that stage! Now, I know I’m not the only one adopting this rigidity – after winning the Berlin Marathon in 2023, Eliud Kipchoge revealed his pre-race meal is also, always oats (we are of the same calibre, obviously *cough*).
Processes are an interesting component of sports psychology. When you think about it in other life scenarios, like going for a work promotion or a health goal, the thing that gets you there is consistency. You wake up an hour earlier, you might go to bed earlier, cut out drinking, take the stairs instead of the elevator to develop discipline. It’s cultivating habits and forming a routine, training the mind or body to focus on a specific task or tasks which are going to get you closer to your goal. It’s conserving your energy for the things that are essential for achieving the desired outcome. This isn’t too dissimilar from the approach Sir Dave Brailsford applied to the GB Cycling athletes, but this still begs the question around lucky charms. You bet at least one of his athlete’s travelled the competition circuit with a sentimental trinket! While bringing your lucky teddy bear might not constitute “conserving energy”, it can undeniably be considered an essential for many athletes.
Olympic climber Molly Thompson-Smith, shares that she brings her lucky necklace with her to act as a reminder that her grandma is with her in spirit; “My grandma passed away last September and she was always a huge supporter of my climbing, and told everyone she met that I’d be an Olympian one day. She tried so hard to make it to see me compete there, and I really wished she could be there with me so I decided to turn some of her ashes into a necklace so she’ll be with me at all my competitions and in Paris!”. Team GB hockey player, Anna Toman, shares a similar view. “I always bring these photos with me wherever I go when I compete: they include the most important people in my life, including my dad who sadly passed away in October 2022. We often spend long periods of time away without seeing our friends and family, so I keep all these photos on my bedside table to remind me what really matters and all the love and support I have. Also, the little sunflower ornament beside the photos is in memory of someone who I was extremely close to and grew up with, who we very sadly lost to suicide. So they are both very special things for me that I always take away on trips”.
Sometimes, all it takes is a token to remind you of home, just like the stuffed toy sports shooter, Seonaid McIntosh, brings everywhere with her. “My boyfriend bought Ducky for me, and he’s now been all over the world and in a fair few hospitals looking after me when I have had some health problems!”.
Akin to the power of lucky charms to influence performance, there’s the power of values and outward expression with kits and accessories. Accessories such as bows and painted nails take on a new meaning for female athletes, particularly those that have had to subscribe to masculine stereotypes like GB rugby player Ellie Boatman. “My red bow has become a part of my ‘uniform’ when I play. It reminds me of my feminine side when I’m in what other people deem as a more ‘masculine sport’. It’s acknowledging the fact that we can be both! It’s also a little reminder of home and acknowledging my close circle at home when I’m away playing”, she tells Glorious. Fellow Olympian and rugby sevens player, Ilona Maher, adopts a similar view, “I feel I can be a beast and can play this very physical, aggressive sport while also keeping my femininity while I do it, so the lipstick was just a little way to bring that onto the field. You don’t have to sacrifice your femininity to play any sport!”.
In summary, the importance of lucky charms and their impact on performance is entirely subjective. To some athletes, charms can offer a psychological anchor in the face of uncertainty. For others, the importance of rituals prevails. Whether there’s a metaphysical power or not, we can’t deny there’s not one size fits all when it comes to athletic performance and grappling with our mind.
In times where there are things you cannot control, what do you hold onto most? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your lucky charms or rituals with us on @glorioussport!
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