Becoming Your Future Self: Inspiration & Visualization for Athletes

This week on In Deep with Olivia Smoliga, we dive into the link between inspiration, visualization, and identity — and how these three forces shape the athlete you’re becoming.

Olivia shares how moments of feeling stuck can transform when we’re sparked by someone else's conviction, creativity, or presence. Through personal stories, sports psychology research, and the practices used inside In-Depth Swim Academy, she unpacks why inspiration strikes, how it reveals a dormant version of ourselves, and how visualization primes the brain to become that future self.

You’ll learn:

• Why inspiration has a three-part psychological structure — and how it moves you toward your ideal self

• How the people who inspire you often reflect a version of you that already exists

• How to create a vision board that rewires self-perception

• Why mental rehearsal activates up to 90% of the neural pathways used in physical performance

• How to step into your future identity through guided breathwork and imagery

This episode includes a full visualization designed to help you meet — and merge with — the highest version of yourself. Paired with journaling prompts, it's a complete blueprint for getting unstuck and moving forward with clarity, intention, and belief.

Listen Below!