Hejnová astonished psychologists. Her head can persuade the body

The start of season had to be postponed for a hurdling world champion Zuzana Hejnová. Her Achilles’ heel has been hurting and so her premiere for this year will take place no sooner than on FridZuzana Hejnováay at Ostrava Golden Spike. Her caution regarding the race and cancelling the planned start in Diamond League in Doha, the capital of Qatar, was caused by the results of SportMind diagnostics, too.

In the results I learned that I have the ability of strongly influencing my body with my head and going over the edge. Although my body sends me a lot of signals, I can ignore them and go on pass the point where I should have stopped.” That is how she described the results that she has got in SportMind diagnostics. “You click on colors and they evaluate your present state of mind and your readiness for the race,” explains the Czech record holder.

Breaking records

The psychologist who had developed the software told me that I was breaking records. He said he hadn’t seen anybody who was so successful in making their head force the body towards performance. Which is fine unless it concerns the injury,” she said.

Hejnová noticed the pain in her Achilles’ heel at the training stay in the Republic of South Africa. “I got used to that but this was a different kind of pain. That is why I realized it would be pointless to risk it,” she says.

In Prague she underwent a check-up by Vladimir Brejcha, a physiotherapist. “I found out that there was a whole muscular chain that had been overloaded. This caused a light inflammation in the Achiles’ heel. He loosened up my back and hips and I have been feeling much better, though not perfect yet,” reported Hejnová. She chose to cancel the planned start at another Diamond league in Rabat on Sunday as well.