The Elite Skater Who Kept Cracking Under Pressure—Until She Rewired Her BrainAmber Glenn hasn’t lost an event all season–after finding a way to physically train herself for the stresses of competition
...Glenn credits her stunning turnaround to a technique called neurotherapy, in which she literally trains her body for high-stakes situations, rather than hoping to push through with mantras. Willing herself to calm down wasn’t cutting it. Learning to manage her nervous system under competition conditions has worked out far better....The idea is to get used to the feeling of being in competition, until it becomes routine—and to practice staying in control, through breathing and other techniques, even as clinic staff deliberately move around or bang doors to throw her off.Glenn can see how she’s doing by watching the raw data, known as “neuro feedback” and “bio feedback.” She has an app to practice with at home every day as well that tracks her heart rate.“She’s getting to rehearse what her best self should feel like while she’s doing what she needs to do,” Edwards said.