I’m generally sick before a big game: Edwards
Three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and reigning women’s singles champion Jo Edwards has revealed that despite her calm exterior, her nerves before crucial matches were astronomical.
Speaking on Bowls Australia’s (BA) ‘The Right Line‘ podcast, the former Blackjack discussed her battles with negative thoughts in the lead up to some of the most important matches of her illustrious career.
“I’m letting you in to a few secrets here but I’m generally sick before a big game and it’s really weird – in the early days I used to try and fight it,” Edwards said.
“You’d feel it and just be like, ‘Come on, come on.’
“It just got to the stage where it’s almost part of my big game routine where it’s like ‘Okay let’s go [vomit].’
“It’s become really easy which is the weird kind of thing but I know if my husband isn’t with me he’ll ring me and ask me if I’ve spewed, and I can honestly say it has happened more often than not.”
Edwards went to see a sports psychologist, who helped her to understand that anxiety before matches is a normal notion, but battling with the thoughts can be at the detriment to any player.
“For sure, and I think again it’s that whole awareness part of it,” she said.
“The awareness that it’s who I am and that it’s silly fighting it and a lot of the time it works, and it certainly makes me feel better when I get out onto the green.
“With the sports psych, they’re all for whatever works for the individual and not to fight these feelings as they come in, it’s a natural feeling.
“You get a lot of thoughts coming in and the minute you try and fight them and stop them coming in, you’re just having a battle against yourself.”
As the most recent Commonwealth Games women’s singles champion, the 52-year-old will miss competing when Birmingham 2022 rolls around next week, but not the preparation in getting to a Games.
“The playing, yes I do miss it, but it’s everything you have to do to get to be playing, that’s the bit that I’m just not missing,” Edwards said.
“That’s the bit that I really don’t want to do now.”
