THE amazing performances from some of Jersey’s finest athletes at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games this past couple of weeks has been inspiring to watch.
Inevitably, it also brings comparisons.
Sometimes seeing other athletes achieving incredible things, whether that’s via social media or in the newspaper like this, it’s easy to think wow what they’re doing is amazing… What have I ever done?
It happens all the time in day to day life, seeing people buy houses, job promotions and you’re left feeling behind. I find it’s easy to forget all the things you have achieved in the pursuit of wanting more.
As a full time rower, everything is about more – more speed, more strength in the gym, faster times on the rowing machine. It’s easy to get caught up in chasing numbers and forget about the bigger picture.
Recently, in preparations for GB trials I had a series of tests on the rowing machine, not my strongest point in my portfolio, but something I have been working towards getting better.
The test in question was 1km on the rowing machine. How bad could it be?
The first test was bad. Not just my score but my attitude towards it. I felt I was already behind where I needed to be and where other girls I am competing against were.
Before the test I felt sick and hopeless, in a way that I hadn’t experienced for years. I hadn’t felt like this since my first international Beach Sprint Race at the Commonwealth Rowing Association Beach Sprints in 2022.
But this erg test I had got so in my head that I “had no chance” and I already decided that I was going to fail. I’d spent so much time comparing myself to others that had faster times than me on the erg that I quit before I’d even started.
150m into the 1000m I was already panicking, should this be feeling this hard already?
I pushed myself as hard as I could, got to the clock saying 0m to go and completed the test. I flopped on the floor and burst into tears – partly from exhaustion and partly from just feeling so disappointed in myself and the approach I had to the testing. 3:20.8, a per 500m split of 1:40.4.
Two years ago I submitted a 1K test in 3:35 with no tears. I knew my strengths were on the water and my boat speed. Growing up in Jersey, and learning to row on the sea, we didn’t focus so much on the rowing machines as much as classic river rowing programs do.
So if you’d have told me then I would get this score, I would have been delighted. But perspective changes everything. And that’s what I needed to do, change my perspective before the next test.
I went into this time with the sole focus of not losing my head, staying calm and in control.
I spoke to my coaches along with former teammates and got some good advice. The advice that stuck with me the most – the work has already been done, the score is predetermined, it’s going to hurt, it’s a hard test but you can’t psych yourself into a better score. Trust yourself. – So that was the plan.
After the preliminary parts of the testing my coach said to me “Where has the swagger and confidence come from? Keep it there for the next one.”
So that’s what I did. I kept calm and in control, I pushed hard and trusted myself. Exactly what I wanted to do.
I finished obviously exhausted but happy with myself. 3:19.0. A per 500m split of 1:39.5.
No world record and still room for improvement, but I was most happy with the way that I approached the testing. Not from a place of comparison, but a place of content and self belief.
I did the best I could do on that day and with that I was proud.
A happy athlete is a fast athlete – not every session is going to be a breeze. There’s going to be some sessions that make you question all your decisions because you’ve pushed yourself so hard.
But I think it’s important to love the sport you do and enjoy the everydays. Sometimes thinking too much about the bigger picture can be overwhelming but taking it day by day and enjoying the process will make it all feel more manageable.
Whether that’s having a laugh with teammates, finally making a technical change you’ve been working on for months, the sun being out during training or the nice meal you have to refuel post session.
So when you see people doing amazing things that you would love to but “could never do”, re-frame the way you think, and if you want, think “what if I could do that too”.
Feel free to get in touch via email natachasearson@gmail.com or follow along the journey on Instagram @Natachasearson.
