Baking, romance novels and very long naps: Siobhan Haughey reveals her secrets to a calm mind

The first time Siobhan Haughey walked out to an Olympic swimming semi-final, she was so nervous that all the colour drained from her face, her hands hung limp on her sides and she barely managed a shy smile as her name was announced to the boisterous Rio 2016 crowds.

The Hong Kong, China swimmer ended up performing well below her personal best and did not make the final.

Eight years later a very different Haughey walked out for the same, women's 200m freestyle semi-final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, smiling and waving throughout her confident walk to the starting blocks.

The calm on the outside reflected Haughey’s recent mindset shift. Just as her profile soared back home and around the world, the four-time Olympic medallist has discovered the balance between staying at the top of her game while also enjoying the moment.

“I learn to realise that it's not always about the end result," Haughey said. "I think the process, the preparation, journey – those are more important. And as long as you have a good preparation and you're enjoying the whole process, the end result doesn't really matter as much because you know you've put in the hard work while also enjoying what you're doing. So regardless of the outcome, you had a great journey and when I think of it that way, it takes a lot of pressure off.”

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Siobhan Haughey’s secrets to a calm mind and better strokes

The spotlight on Haughey has never burned brighter than during the last Olympic cycle. She made history at Tokyo 2020 as the first Olympic swimming medallist from Hong Kong, China. Later in 2021 she also became the first world short course champion and first short course world record holder from the country.

In 2024, she became the first Hong Kong, China swimmer to win a world title.

Haughey's top accolades – including that first Olympic medal, world title and short course world record – all came in the 200m freestyle. It was also in this signature race that she made the semi-final at Rio 2016.

“When I went to my first Olympics, I was 18 and I made semi-finals and when I walked out I was so nervous that if you look at the videos, you'll see my face is just blank," Haughey said. "I've never experienced anything like this before, walking out to a crowd at the Olympic semi-finals, so I end up not performing as well as I could have.”

That race was an eye-opening moment for the teenager. Up until that point Haughey was focusing on her strokes and speed in the pool, but now she discovered she also needed to be mindful of the things she does outside the pool to become a better swimmer.

The most important of these was learning how to relax.

“I realised that if I'm nervous, I'm not going to perform well," Haughey said. "So throughout the years, I try to find different ways to help myself to relax before my race. And now I found a few things that help.”

Baking and reading – romance novels, murder mysteries and thrillers, in particular – have become Haughey’s go-tos for finding inner calm. The swimmer also meditates, keeps a journal and tries to take daily one-and-a-half hour naps.

Having a laugh once in a while doesn’t hurt either. Haughey dressed up as a panda to walk out to the blocks of the women’s 50m freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Singapore in October. It was Hallowe’en and also her birthday.

She ended up winning bronze in that race with World Aquatics quickly dubbing her the “fastest panda on earth”. The following day Haughey “traded a swim cap for a crown” in the 200m freestyle, thus proving yet again how beneficial taking a breather can be.

From stroke to stoke

Timing is everything for Haughey, and not only in the pool. Whether it is setting aside time for her lengthy naps or reading a few book chapters, the Hong Kong, China athlete says it is important to value every minute by clearing distractions and staying present in the moment.

That also means setting aside time for passion projects. The one Haughey is putting into a personal agenda for her next vacation is also about sports and water, though nowhere near a pool.

"One of the fun things I want to do is I want to learn how to surf because I love the ocean and I love water sports," she said. "I want to give myself a little challenge so that I have something to do during my break, and I think it's very important to take breaks because being an athlete, you're always in a high-stress situation. So it's good to take some time off just to reset and restart so that when you come back, you feel ready mentally and physically to start again and start training."

Before Haughey takes off on her surfing adventure, however, she has a few races lined up at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m), which take place in Budapest from 10 to 15 December.

Already a five-time world short course championship medallist and three-time champion, Haughey knows that many eyes will be on her once again in Hungary. While the extra attention and pressure come with being a national trailblazer, she has come a long way since her first walk out at Rio 2016 in being able to manage them.

"There is definitely some pressure that comes with being an Olympian and being one of the best athletes in Hong Kong. But at the same time, I always just try to focus on myself and remember why I'm doing this. I'm doing all of this because I love swimming. I love training, I love racing," Haughey said.

"I also see the public support as them recognising my hard work and my success throughout the years. So I don't really think that is a pressure. I think it's more an honour that people are watching my races and they're keeping up with how I'm doing."