By Angela Bailey

I first became involved with self hypnosis as a young sprinter around the age of 20. I dreamed of being an Olympic champion, but I was faced with a major challenge. A psychological barrier, my first real obstacle, stood in my way.

It was a work-out that only a few elite athletes in the world could do. This was my Mount Everest. I was told by my coach that if I wanted to move to the next level of my development that it had to be done.

Will power was unable to help me.

I did want to move to the next level, but for months, each time I stood at the start line to begin the workout, I felt this overwhelming feeling of nausea and dizziness. I just could not do it.

I think it is important to note that I never really had to go through this obstacle, if I had chosen to take, performance enhancing drugs. I simply could have swallowed some pills, felt no pain, and just moved forward. Many athletes were taking the fast and easy way to the top, but that is another story.

However, for me cheating by taking drugs was just not an option. I was strongly motivated by the belief that something bigger than myself gave me this gift, and it was not just so that I could win races at any cost, but rather to find out what I was truly capable of in life. Back to my story...

Every time I approached to begin the work-out, I 'willed' myself to do it by saying positive statements and seeing an Olympic medal around my neck, but those negative feelings stayed right with me. I knew the workout was going to hurt, and I would be in a lot of pain.

Imagination always wins over will power.

Finally I realized that I could not allow fear, in this case the fear of pain, to keep me from my dreams. I decided to go to the library, and search for some answers, and I found a book about hypnosis in sports or visualization (self hypnosis).

It was Thursday, and I was determined to do the work-out on Monday. I followed the instructions for sports hypnosis and imagined myself doing the entire work-out. Again and Again.

On Monday, I stood at the start line with the guys (no female athlete could run as fast as me), and I accomplished what had been impossible with 'will power', and instead I tapped the power of my subconscious mind, and overcame my obstacle.

Hypnosis in sports helped me move to the next level, and it can help YOU unlock YOUR potential.

I did feel pain, after the work-out, but I also experienced a feeling of awe as my body moved exactly as I had imagined it in my mind. I improved quickly, because my body was already prepared to do what my mind would not let me. Even though I was already a world class athlete, my goal was to become an Olympic medalist.

That year, because of the breakthrough with self hypnosis, I broke the existing Canadian Record for the 100 metres. The next year at age 22, I had my Olympic medal.

You too may be ready to move to the next level of your development, but you accept the fear of the unknown or the known, and do nothing. Allow hypnosis to conquer your fear, and unlock the potential inside you.

Angela Bailey is a board certified professional hypnotherapist practicing in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her clientele is wide ranging and includes recreational, national, and world ranked athletes, celebrities, authors, dancers, business people, and many others.