When Does Maame Biney Skate Again
2-time Olympian Maame Biney is effortlessly vivacious. She has a stellar grin that takes over her face and a contagious express joy that is easy to take hold of even over the airwaves of Zoom. Just this innate bubbliness is rarely seen when the 22-year-one-time is dominating the water ice in speed skating—mayhap it's because her alter ego, Anna Digger, has taken over.
But even though "Anna" is the one in the rink, Maame is the i who has to deal with the myriad experiences that come with being a earth-class athlete. For instance, at simply 17 years erstwhile, the Virginia native made history past becoming the youngest person ever and the first Black adult female ever to make the Squad United states curt track speed skating squad. She competed with these titles in the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.
"It's a legacy that I'grand very proud to hold just because there are a lot of sports in the world, especially winter sports, that don't have a lot of representation in the Black community," Maame told Cosmopolitan. "So I'm very, very happy that I'm able to take that 1 step further in order for people—and particularly Black girls—to say, 'If Maame tin do that, I tin can practise that, and I can put in the work, and I can have the passion to practice whatever I want and not have anyone hold me back.'"
But after a heart-wrenching performance in PyeongChang and the blizzard of trolls and media attending that followed, Maame needed time to reassess. She returned from the reflection menstruum with a new agreement of the power and necessity of cultivating a supportive tribe, finding rest in piece of work and pleasure, and tuning out the noise. In brusque, don't allow her smiling face fool you—Maame is not i to be played with.
Just over a week before her 22nd birthday and right earlier leaving for Bejiing, Maame saturday down with Cosmo with the aid of her Red Balderdash partnership to talk grooming for the 2022 Winter Olympics, where she finds enjoyment outside her sport, and what she's looking forward to once she gets back habitation (hellooo, spring break!). Read on for what life was like for Maame as she got ready for the Games.
Cosmo: Talk well-nigh what your training looked like this past year. How did the pandemic bear upon your preparation?
Maame: In the beginning, it was really difficult only because we had to wear our masks. We're a contact sport, and so not being able to be in contact with our teammates was very difficult. Leading and following in short track is completely dissimilar, information technology'south a very dissimilar feel, and then being able to basically lead everything during our COVID-xix noncontact phase was super difficult. Fortunately, we were all able to follow the rules and the edifice was but like, "Okay, now y'all guys tin do what you lot need to do, but you notwithstanding need to have your mask on."
Now, leading into the Games, we're taking even more precautions just because if nosotros exam positive at this point, we're not going to the Games and that would be extremely disappointing and extremely sad—so we're all doing lockdown. I'grand in the house, basically, when I'chiliad non at the rink, and even at the rink, we're double masking and washing our hands and putting on manus sanitizer and stuff like that. It's kind of like déjà vu in a way just for good reason.
Beingness an athlete is a holistic task. Outside of the physical, how did y'all prepare mentally and emotionally, especially after feeling disappointed with your finish at the last Games?
I was able to have a reflection of what type of community I wanted behind me and what type of people I wanted behind me because I felt similar some of the people that I had didn't have the best interest at heart for me. As an athlete, and especially as someone who very much values people's friendship and love, it was very hard and very heartbreaking. Fortunately, in that, I learned that in that location are other people who want to be in my community and want to help me out in the all-time manner possible and in no style that benefits them. With that, I allowed them in, I've become more vulnerable, and even talking to my therapist about training and how I should observe things outside of training that I really do like, which is like hammocking or making new friends. That role has been very, very helpful to me in the past year, especially. It's been neat and I hope to continue that.
Later you secured your Olympics spot in Dec, you posted a pic of the moment on Instagram with the caption, "This one's for me." When I saw it, I was like, "I know that'due south right!" Athletes can exist their own biggest critics. How do you residuum demanding excellence from yourself while still talking kindly to yourself?
Oh, homo, I am still learning that. It's definitely a procedure. I think the first time I e'er in my career was actually proud of myself and I really was happy with my outcome—like no criticizing or anything like that—was when I won that 500 considering it was perfect. I went into that race with the right mindset; everything merely lined up perfectly, and I was so happy with that. Unfortunately, us athletes very much practise self-criticize a lot and we want perfection—specially for short rails, I feel like if you brand one mistake in a race, information technology'due south basically over just because it goes by and then fast. And then I think that's where that mindset of perfectionist is non a good thing for me because it's only a spiral. So for me to be able to go out of that, I basically distract myself. I would read a book or spotter TV, which is my go-to. Or I talk to someone, which would be my therapist or my mentor Anthony, just to get my head out of that and endeavour to pivot around, like, "What's a expert fashion to put this energy toward?"
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That is so skilful and goes dorsum to the significance of the village you curated around yourself. Speaking of people around you lot, I heard you have an alter ego. I need to know about Anna Digger. Tell me nigh her. How is she different from Maame?
Anna, mmm. Anna can exist very aggressive and very like, "I'm gonna practice what it takes to exist starting time and information technology doesn't thing what I practise." That's where the aggressive part is, and for me, Maame, I'm very like, "Ahh, ladadoodoodoo! It is what it is! Ahh, information technology'll be okay!" I retrieve Anna definitely comes out during racing, which is really nice considering that's obviously where you demand that energy. It's definitely been an interesting battle to figure out where she is and find her once again. I retrieve she's back.
How did you lot find her to start with?
She was an electronic mail accost that I made when I was 8.
Oh, man. We all take those email addresses of our youth nosotros desire to bury from the globe.
No, seriously. I didn't want anyone to know my name at age viii—I don't know; I was very suspicious of everyone. I think I get that from my dad. I fabricated the fake proper name email, and then me and a teammate were talking in 2017 before the Olympic trials and she was telling me that she looked at a picture of mine and I await completely different when I'm skating. My face is merely completely stoic, and my optics are light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation focused. Nosotros were but like, "How funny would information technology be if yous made Anna your alter ego?" My Apple ID was Anna Digger and then her contact data (for me) was Anna Digger. She was like, "It'd be funny if yous did that." And I was like, "Okay, cool!"
The rest was history. You lot mentioned your dad, and I know you're very close with him. Cathay isn't allowing international spectators to come watch the Games in person. How are you handling him not beingness there for this huge occasion in your athletic career?
Yeah, it'due south actually lamentable just considering my dad has done everything for me, and he's supported me through everything. He'south e'er wanted the best for me and and so not having him there to back up me even further is really sorry and very disappointing. But obviously, I know why spectators aren't allowed to be in that location. I know that he'southward going to exist at home supporting me so that'due south going to requite me peace of mind. I'm gonna come back and visit him, and nosotros can just gloat with whatever result that I get at dwelling house together.
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Is he doing a watch party or anything like that?
No, I don't call up so. He'southward very Covid cautious. He's very like, "I don't want anyone at the house." Even going outside is very "ehh" for him. He's going to work, like, three or four times a week merely to be condom, and so I don't call back he's having a watch party, but that's okay because I only demand him actually.
You talked about hammocking and reading earlier. What are some other things you practice for enjoyment exterior of skating when you lot have a lilliputian free fourth dimension?
I love cooking. I actually, really like cooking. I accept a roommate, and he doesn't know how to melt, so I'one thousand also learning how to cook for two people. It's also been super fun because we get to talk and have fun doing that. So it'south a piffling blood brother-sis kind of thing, which is super sugariness. Likewise, baking too. I as well like hanging out with friends. Later on the Olympics, nosotros accept a trip to go to—well, we don't actually know yet. Nosotros were gonna go to Cancún, and that plan is not at that place anymore because…*sigh* anyway! Merely we're gonna keep a trip for spring suspension and so I'm very excited about that considering it'southward gonna be my first jump break trip.
As you should! Especially after competing at the freakin' Olympics. Tell me about your pre-competition ritual. Do yous have any weird quirks in yours?
Honestly, no. All I really do is listen to music. I take to have my headphones, and I listen to very calming music. The dark before, I have my app Headspace and I mind to pelting music or rain sounds to calm my nerves before a competition. It's been very, very helpful and I'grand very lucky to have Headspace. It does what it needs to do.
I feel like that is non what you hear from most athletes. I played college basketball and it was e'er virtually the hype music, but you're like, "I need to relax and be 1."
That's fair! I used to heed to hype music and it just really wasn't working for me. Other people were telling me, "Oh, hype-up music is what y'all need to do to go far the zone," and information technology just wasn't working for me because I would always go too hyped upward to the bespeak where it was only like, it simply wasn't working for me. Simply then I institute (the artist) Phora on Spotify—I don't even know how I found him. He's been very practiced for me too.
Okay, tell me your favorite go-to snack or junk nutrient? Promise I won't tell your trainer.
Doritos. I love, love munching on those. Doritos and as well the puffy Cheeto things, you know? Oh my gosh. Ahh! Now I'm gonna desire some!
No, no! After the Games! Do you have any plans on how yous're going to use your platform during the Olympics?
One thing I'm definitely going to be doing is posting a lot of inspirational stuff and mental health stuff. I follow We the Urban, which is an amazing, amazing account—like, I love them—and I postal service their content on my Story all the time. So throughout the Games, I'll periodically post whatever hits me or what actually resonates with me during that fourth dimension.
I want young people to non be afraid to use their vocalization and use any platform they have. They could have 1 follower or 10,000 followers—it doesn't matter. Use that platform to speak out for what you believe in. Information technology's super of import for people to understand that we all take a voice and that we all have something to say. Especially athletes, because we're not just athletes. Nosotros're human beings and nosotros have opinions and feelings. I highly encourage people to practice whatever makes them passionate and speak out on that.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. For the total 2022 Winter Olympics schedule, visit Olympics.com .
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When Does Maame Biney Skate Again
Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a39000962/maame-biney-beijing-winter-olympics/
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