Susannah Scaroni: Self-Care Ideas From the Professional Wheelchair Racer

This summer season alone, Scaroni earned 5 complete medals on the 2024 Paris Paralympic Video games, in occasions starting from the 800-meter ladies’s T54 occasion all the best way as much as the ladies’s T54 marathon race. (The T54 class contains individuals with spinal twine accidents who compete in observe occasions utilizing a wheelchair.)

Moreover, Scaroni is a World Marathon Majors champion and a wheelchair racing world report holder within the 5,000-meter distance. She’s additionally a registered dietitian and works part-time in that capability with the males’s and ladies’s wheelchair basketball groups on the College of Illinois.

Scaroni, whose backbone was injured in a automobile accident at 5 years outdated and resulted in her utilizing a wheelchair, had a tricky begin to her season this yr, lacking each the Boston Marathon and London Marathon on account of a shoulder harm.

“In the end, lacking Boston and London had been the suitable choices,” Scaroni tells Nicely+Good. “On account of taking time to heal from my harm, I felt wonderful on the Paris Paralympics. I had enjoyable in all the distances I competed in there, and I’m actually happy with what my physique did.”

Scaroni’s begin strains for the yr aren’t over but, although—she lined up for the Chicago Marathon in mid-October, however suffered a flat tire on her racing wheelchair just a few miles into the race and needed to withdraw. Now, Scaroni is completely centered on the TCS New York Metropolis Marathon on November 5.

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“I gained’t deny that I’m kind of nervous simply because the New York Metropolis Marathon is without doubt one of the most vital races I do,” Scaroni says. “However on the identical time, my plan is to get probably the most out of my physique that day and present what I’m able to.”

As Scaroni begins to taper off her heavy exercises forward of the TCS New York Metropolis Marathon, which is produced by the New York Highway Runners, she shares six self-care suggestions that hold her emotionally and bodily nicely year-round.

1. She makes use of mindfulness apps

With how a lot Scaroni travels, it’s important that she have the ability to calm her mind wherever on the planet she is—particularly when she’s in the course of an intense coaching session or key race.

Over the previous few years, Scaroni has leveraged mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace to assist hone her skill to stay calm, current, and logical.

“For me, particularly, the respiratory and sensory practices in most mindfulness apps assist me to get somewhat extra management over my ideas,” Scaroni says. “I apply mindfulness day-after-day, and I’ve gotten to the place if I really feel actually overwhelmed, I will have the ability to reconnect with the current and concentrate on the duty at hand, which is often coaching.”

Scaroni actively works her mindfulness abilities six days per week and views it as a non-negotiable in the case of self-care, irrespective of the place she is or what she’s doing.

2. She loves getting misplaced in a very good guide

One other non-negotiable self-care merchandise for Scaroni is her Kindle ($280), which permits her to deliver 1000’s of books “on the go” and bask in her favourite novels throughout the globe.

“Studying helps me disconnect from my ideas—if I ever had been to neglect my Kindle on a visit, I’d in all probability must go purchase a guide simply so I can get that rest that I really like from studying,” Scaroni says. “I really like studying, and love having the ability to open up a guide and get misplaced in it.”

Scaroni’s favourite style is fantasy, and forward of the New York Metropolis Marathon, she’s revisiting an outdated favourite: The Lord of the Rings books ($17). She additionally re-read the Harry Potter sequence ($55) earlier than and through the Paris Paralympics this summer season.

3. She journals commonly

Earlier than Scaroni went to the Paris Paralympic Video games this summer season, she labored with a sleep advisor who helped to refine Scaroni’s sleep hygiene. In spite of everything, being an elite athlete requires an elite quantity of sleep.

The sleep advisor really useful Scaroni use journaling as a approach to assist her mind chill out and course of the day’s happenings earlier than nodding off to sleep, and Scaroni instantly took to this suggestion.

“What I really like about journaling is that if I must have a dialog with somebody or course of a state of affairs, journaling helps me get the preliminary response I could have out of the best way,” Scaroni says. “Then, I can assume extra about how I truly need to have the dialog or deal with the state of affairs in actual life.”

Scaroni says she at all times brings a journal to her races so she has an outlet for working by means of her feelings, permitting her to be centered and current when it’s time to offer it her all. (If you wish to take a web page out of Scaroni’s guide—pun meant—listed below are seven of our favourite journals.)

4. She blocks out all of the noise

In keeping with her mindfulness apply, Scaroni likes to dam out extraneous noise in her life—actually.

An excellent pair of headphones—Scaroni likes Beats ($100)—permits Scaroni to zone in on the issues which might be vital to her throughout racing and coaching, like a cellphone name along with her husband, sister, or mother, and never be distracted by the literal and figurative noise round her.

“I really like having headphones on me throughout any journey so I’ve the choice to speak with household,” Scaroni says. “It’s enjoyable to attach with them, and so they’re at all times keen to have a chat with me [ahead of a race].”

5. She nourishes her thoughts and physique

After all, as a registered dietitian, Scaroni makes it a precedence to deliver her favourite meals along with her, even when touring overseas. Having her ordinary snacks and treats readily available in any nation makes her really feel extra at house and ensures her physique can digest one thing acquainted near race day.

“I really like meals and I really like touring. I like to verify I’ve bought some meals with me that I do know I’m going to need,” Scaroni says. A few of her favorites to have readily available throughout a visit are Skratch Labs merchandise—particularly their super-high carb drink combine ($24)—and Clif Bars ($26).

Moreover, when Scaroni does get to catch her breath throughout an prolonged interval at house, she says certainly one of her favourite methods to apply self-care is by going to Costco along with her husband and stocking up on their favourite meals.

“Each two weeks, my husband and I’ve a Costco date,” Scaroni says. “Costco is only a enjoyable place to buy—we like to take a look at all of their produce, take a look at their dairy part, and select some totally different proteins to prepare dinner.”

6. She makes time for the little issues

As a extremely devoted athlete and registered dietitian, Scaroni spent years grinding in direction of her objectives in any respect hours of the day. Now, although, Scaroni prioritizes self-care within the type of consciously setting apart time to easily take pleasure in life.

“It was life-changing after I completed graduate faculty and realized that within the evenings when my husband got here house from work, we truly now had time to do issues like play with our canine, go for a stroll, and prepare dinner dinner collectively,” Scaroni says. “I used to be lastly in a position to set a boundary with myself and have a private life outdoors of sport and teachers, which I don’t assume I’d ever had earlier than.”

Whether or not it’s making a scrumptious meal collectively, watching reruns of Psych (Scaroni’s present present of selection), or simply decompressing on the sofa, stepping away from the obligations of the day at a chosen time is what permits Scaroni to strategy the following day with renewed gusto.