SHARLENE Mawdsley has warned that ‘imposter syndrome is so common’ in an empowering message before International Women’s Day.
The theme of this year’s IWD is ‘Accelerate Action’ so the sprinter was a natural voice to speak up in encouraging more women to chase their sporting dreams.
The Herbalife athlete opened up about how, despite now being one of the leading lights in Irish athletics, she was racked with self-doubt as recently as around the time of the 2021 Olympics.
The 26-year-old managed the qualification time for the Tokyo Games but ultimately was not selected.
This devastating blow sparked huge self-doubt, forcing her to question whether she deserved to compete.
She recalled: “I used to struggle a lot mentally and it came to a stage where I felt I no longer enjoyed competing even though I had done all the hard work behind closed doors on the track and in the gym.
“I felt the ‘I shouldn’t be here’ mentality kick in”.
After the challenges she faced around those Games, she worked tirelessly with a sports psychologist and gradually began to rebuild her confidence on the road to the 2024 edition in Paris.
Sharlene says: “Imposter syndrome is so common, not only in sport, but when I began the ‘fake it till you make it’ mantra, it just became my reality.
“Working with my sport psychologist and speaking more openly with my team meant a lot of the imposter syndrome went away, and my overall performance began to get better.”
“I’ve also had great support from Herbalife. They’ve helped me out with everything and anything.
“There was nothing that I needed to look for outside of Herbalife because they’ve got a great range of science-backed supplements to fuel me day-to-day and on the track.”
With Herbalife, a global health and wellness company, aiding her in taking control of her physical needs, Sharlene can focus on managing her mindset.
Serving as a role model for women navigating their own self-doubt, the Tipperary native offers vital advice: “Focus on what you can control, and don’t waste time worrying about what you can’t”.
She encourages others to remember that life is short and letting go of unnecessary worry is essential to achieving success.
The 400m specialist adds: “When I let my thoughts get the better of me before, I would tell myself to take the safe option. Now I embrace the challenges.”
Sharlene also stresses the importance of staying true to herself explaining: “By staying true to myself and allowing myself to feel my true feelings I continue to accelerate action in my career and life.”
“I continue to push the boundaries of my own training by working with the world’s best and in my everyday life I will do everything I can to be happy.”
Sharlene continues to combat challenges by remembering all the hard work that she has put into excelling as an athlete.
The European relay champion notes: “Looking back on training diaries just days before the race and trusting my coach, these are small things to do, but for me make such a huge difference in the ‘Sharlene’ that shows up on the track.”
VISIBILITY IS PARAMOUNT
Sharlene shares she is now able to embrace every time she gets to represent Ireland and show the world the hard work she has put in.
This year’s IWD theme is a call to acknowledge the strategies, resources, and activity that positively impacts women’s advancement to support and elevate them.
It’s about celebrating the people who roll up their sleeves and take bold steps towards equality.
Sharlene believes that ‘Showing more women in sport is key to progressing this’.
She also explains how support from others has been key to the success she has achieved to date.
She hails: “Having my friends and family understand what I do is hugely important as they are the driving force behind me on all those bad days.
“I will always be so appreciative and grateful for them.”