Preparation Matters: What We Can Learn From an Olympic Swimmer About the Value of Advance Care Planning Interventions

Abstract

In 2008, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps broke a world record under unthinkably challenging circumstances-his goggles filled with water early in the race, and he was unable to see. When asked how he did it, he shared that he had grown bored with his coach's advice to mentally practice the perfect race and had instead begun to imagine what he would do if something went awry. When "swimming blind" unexpectedly became his reality, he already had a well-rehearsed strategy in his head for what he needed to do, enabling him to win his 10th gold medal (1).Michael Phelps' success shows the value of "mental contrasting," a well-established behavior change