""We are very busy over here during some points. We also have a lot of downtime," said U.S. men's cross-country skier Ben Ogden. "During that downtime, it's essential that we rest and put our feet up and relax to get the best out of our training and racing sessions. So, for me, knitting is a great way to be completely relaxed, off my feet, and just chilling without just looking at my phone all the time.""
""I suspect this is true for a lot of athletes: I think a lot of us have very single-minded sort of brains, and we really tend to fixate on things a little bit, which can be both a blessing and a curse," Ogden said. "It's great when it comes time to work on your weaknesses and get better, but when you have a bad day, or something's bothering you and you're not feeling quite right, it can be really draining to just be obsessing over it all the time. And I find that having a project that you can obsess over in a really productive way is a super essential thing for me.""
Knitting supplies have become common gear for Olympic-level athletes to manage downtime and mental health. Knitting provides a way to rest physically, avoid constant phone use, and relax between training and competition. Ben Ogden combines intense training with knitting while winning two Olympic silver medals, marking a rare U.S. men's placement in cross-country sprint since 1976. Knitting offers a productive, focused outlet for athletes prone to single-minded fixation, helping transform obsessive energy into a calming project. Other elite competitors have also knitted during Games, including Team Finland at the 2018 Winter Games and Tom Daley at Tokyo 2021.
Read at www.npr.org
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