When the pandemic pressured Nia Akins to abruptly finish her observe profession on the College of Pennsylvania in 2020, she discovered solace in one thing fairly completely different: The 800-meter specialist began taking part in the guitar and writing songs.
Finally, working and racing got here again in time for the 2021 US Olympic Monitor and Discipline Group Trials, however Akins’s occasion didn’t go as deliberate. She ended up tripping and falling within the 800-meter ultimate, in the end coming in final place and dashing her goals for Tokyo. As she processed her feelings, she leaned laborious into her newfound interest, releasing her first singles, “Paper Boats” (beneath the pseudonym Teddy Oliver) and “Smoke” that 12 months, adopted up by one other EP of 4 songs in 2022.
“I simply type of took it to my guitar and began writing about it, which helped me study lots about myself,” Akins, 26, who trains with the Brooks Beasts skilled observe membership in Seattle, tells SELF. “As athletes, we’re used to being robust and difficult and suppressing a few of these feelings, so what occurred in 2021 helped me embrace all of my feelings, which made it simpler to maneuver on and develop from it.”
So it’s probably not a shock that Akins continued to lean into singing and songwriting heading into arguably an important racing season so far in her profession. In June, she had the possibility to redeem her 2021 efficiency on the 2024 Olympic Trials—and she or he not solely earned a spot in Paris, however ended up successful the entire thing, taking first place within the 800-meter ultimate with a brand new private better of 1:57.36.
After the Trials, Akins felt she wished to reconnect with the non-athlete a part of herself in an effort to ease stress and apply self-care. This led her to launch her newest single, “Petals to the Hearth,” on Spotify, which she wrote final 12 months heading into the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the place she in the end set a then-personal greatest to complete sixth within the 800-meter ultimate.
“Within the track, there are two conflicting voices, and one is tremendous assured, whereas the opposite one is simply very uncertain, listening and taking suggestions from all people to type of survive,” Akins explains. “With me, I really feel like these two voices are type of going forwards and backwards, after which the assured one finally ends up successful over ultimately.”
And he or she hopes to faucet into that self-assurance when she toes the beginning line in Paris. To assist it alongside, she’s planning on bringing a ukulele to the Video games in case inspiration and the songwriting temper strikes. In any case, she says music is vital for maintaining herself centered and stress-free main into huge races, particularly as a part of her pre-sleep routine.
Akins caught up with SELF whereas wrapping up a stint of altitude coaching in Albuquerque, New Mexico, earlier than briefly returning to her dwelling base in Seattle after which flying overseas. Earlier than Paris, she shares the highest three songs which have her puffed up as she works towards a giant objective, and which she’ll undoubtedly be tuning into earlier than lining up on the observe.
1. Yeshua by UPPERROOM
It is a worship track, and the title roughly interprets to “God delivers.” The primary time I heard it was at a worship night time efficiency the place it was only a woman and a rock-style guitar; I simply recorded it on my telephone’s voice memos and that’s the one I hearken to. I simply have that taking part in on a loop.