The exceptional former Slovenian swimmer and winner of a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is now part of an Oslo-based start-up platform called Fitsmind, which focuses on programmes for physical and mental training. Isaković, who lives abroad, visited Slovenia to participate at an international conference titled Neuroscience and Mindfulness Go Hand in Hand – CenteredMIND 2017. “I had a short speech about my experience, 20 or 30 minutes long. I had been part of a research group in the U.S. that studied brain activity during mindfulness training. It needs to be told why this requires practice, what is happening in the brain during training, and what influence it has on one’s life.”

Young swimmers need mental preparation for exertion
Isaković is still involved in swimming: “I like to work with young swimmers best, to help them prepare mentally for physical exertion. One’s mental state is incredibly important. Children are very perceptive and curious when I explain to them what goes on in the brain. Just like young swimmers need to be taught proper techniques early on, they also need to know how to control their mind.”

Her most recent project focused on preparing four female Norwegians for a rowing expedition: they plan to row across the Atlantic in December and January, which means 5,000 kilometres of hard work. “This was an extra challenge for me, as I never worked with such sportswomen before.”

The Slovenian Swimming Federation offered her a CEO position last year. How come the proposal fell through? “I was disappointed with how it ended. I came to help, but I need to pay my bills somehow. When they told me how much I’d get paid … even my grandma’s pension is higher. If I agreed to take over such function, I would need to be paid accordingly.”