At the end of the Paris Olympics this year, Sifan Hassan did the unimaginable.

She won medals in two long-distance races and then topped it off by winning gold in the marathon. All within 10 days with barely any recovery time between races.

This feat in athletics had only happened once before. Over 70 years ago.

But what jumped out at me was what she said after winning the race. Physical endurance wasn’t the most important thing that got her to the finish line. She had to have enormous mental fortitude to get there. And to even start the race in the first place.

Three weeks before the Olympics began, she had exhausted herself so much with training that she seriously considered not competing.

It struck me that the psychological battles that are fought as a writer are no different to those experienced by a top athlete.

First, a bit of backstory about Sifan Hassan.

Sifan was born in Ethiopia. In 2008, at the age of fifteen, her mother sent her to the Netherlands. She entered the country as a refugee, and was held in a detention centre for eight months, before being taken in by a Dutch woman who would become her surrogate mother.

In the detention centre she was incredibly unhappy and said she just wanted to die. She took up running, which she had also done in Ethiopia, but wasn’t driven to take it seriously.

Only when she moved into a student flat and was studying to be a nurse, did she join an athletics club and begin to train for real.

In 2011, after winning a half-marathon, she came to the attention of higher level coaches. In 2013, her Dutch citizenship was granted which enabled her to start competing internationally.

Sifan wins the marathon. Photographer: Andrej J Isakovij/AFP/Getty Images

Sifan hasn’t had an easy ride to the top. And that has stood her in good stead to be mentally able to tackle the impossible. But, even then, she was still plagued by doubt.

‘I didn’t even think I could run the 5000m. I was so over-trained for the marathon,’ she said after the marathon.

Standing up against your inner critic and beating doubt is tough. In the end, no one was certain what she was capable of. Not even her. So, that left only one choice.

Do it and find out.

Being a writer is the same. When you start writing a story, you have no idea where it will go. Although for me I only start when I know the end.

Sometimes it’s not the real end.

When I started writing the Anaïs Blue series, I envisioned only one book. However, the story just kept going. My original ‘ending’ didn’t happen until halfway through Book 4.

One thing is certain. I do not know how I’m going to get to the end. Or what will happen in between.

And that is where the doubt creeps in.

Constantly.

I’ve written nine books and I’m starting on my tenth. Still, I’m not sure where the story will lead me. All you can do is trust the process. Trust that you have the training and experience to know what you’re doing.

Trust that it will all end well.

‘Can you imagine for two hours, just focusing on every step? I have never focused like I focused today,’ said Sifan in an interview after the marathon.

Every word, every paragraph, every chapter is a small step forward. Focusing on them is much better than focusing how you will get to the end.

Writing an entire book is scary. But it’s doable.

Every step forward is a step closer to the end.

‘I have no words for it. When I started this morning, every single moment [in the race] I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m,’ Sifan said. ‘I was telling myself: “If I hadn’t done that, I would feel comfortable today.” From the beginning until the end, I felt every step so badly and I regretted it: “What is wrong with me?”’

‘The moment I felt good was at 20km.’

At the halfway point it started to get easier for her. Before that she was still plagued with doubt and didn’t think she could run full distance. Then her momentum began to build.

In my experience, hitting the halfway point in writing a book is the same.

It’s almost like you’ve climbed the mountain and are now heading down the other side. You’re on the home run, even though you still have a long way to go.

‘You don’t have to run the race, I do. Leave me alone.’ Was her argument with her coach when he told her in training to push harder.

Writing is also a lonely process.

You can read books and educate yourself, but in the end you have to do it yourself. Nobody else will be there to put words on the page for you. Although, sometimes I feel I could use a sports coach to push me.

Only towards the end did Sifan begin to think she had a chance at a medal. First she saw an opportunity for bronze. Then silver. And only then, a possibility of going for the ultimate goal. The small steps continuing to the very end.

She became the first Olympian in athletics, male or female, to win medals in three events at the same Games since 1952.

What also was inspirational was the atmosphere after the marathon.

Sifan was pumped full of adrenaline and jumping around. I thought, is she superwoman? How can anyone run 42km and have that amount of energy? 

All the athletes were congratulating each other and exchanging hugs. Truly an outpouring of love. Medal or no medal, everyone was a winner. They had all made it to the finish line.

In general, the same thing happens in the author community. It’s not a competition. Everyone knows what it takes to get to ‘The End’. The completion of a book is a win for all of us.

So, I will finish the race I’m running and look forward to starting the next. For my tenth book, and also with editing books eight and nine, I will take inspiration from Sifan. I will counter the doubts that plague me and just do it in order to see what happens.

Maybe, like her, I’m a little crazy and inquisitive too.