Eileen Gu 'rewires her brain' with treatment scientists didn't think was possible
Eileen Gu has credited the brain-training ritual she goes through for her success at the Winter Olympics.
Gu, who was born in the United States but now represents China, won the gold medal in the women's halfpipe freestyle ski final in Vatellina, landing a score of 94.75 points with her third and final run.
The 22-year-old also medalled in the women's big air and slopestyle, claiming a silver medal in each event.
After her heroics at this year's Games, she is now the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history.
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Gu not only possess the physical talents and attributes but also a mental fortitude that has enabled her stellar performances.
How has she managed this? Well, she rewires her brain daily to be more successful.
Asked about her mindset, Gu replied via Fortune: "I spend a lot of time in my head... I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes.
"I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I modify it.
“You can control what you think. You can control how you think. And therefore, you can control who you are. And especially as a young person, I’m 22, so with neuroplasticity on my side, I can literally become exactly who I want to be.”
Gu added: "Yes, I spend a lot of time in my own head. Yes, I think a lot. But it’s not really in an egotistical way. It’s in a tinkering, like a scientist way.
"I’m always trying to modify. I’m trying to think, 'How can I be better? How can I approach my own brain the way that I approach my craft of free skiing?' So that I can be better tomorrow than I was."
Huffington Post cofounder and CEO of Thrive Global Arianna Huffington backed Gu's practices and added that her brain-training ritual and success highlight the power of our mindset.
On X, she wrote: “Athletes don’t just magically create routines and habits. They’re supported by coaches who use the principles of behavioural science to set them up for success. That means using techniques to reduce decision fatigue and lower stress.
"Through neuroplasticity, the small choices we repeat every day can strengthen our neural circuits and rewire our brains to make certain behaviours more automatic, which is exactly what Gu has trained her mind to do."
Scientists believed that the adult human brain was largely fixed.
The brain developed during childhood before settling into a stable form in early adulthood, without any meaningful change for the rest of life.
However, neuroplasticity reframes the brain as a living system shaped by experience, effort and time.
Topics: Olympics
Nasir Jabbar