Oh my GOSH I am so lucky to have come across this post… I have a post scheduled for this Friday afternoon that talks about my experience as a lifelong competitive swimmer and how everything I did for that sport is crumbling down on me now that I’ve retired from it. It focuses on mental health in terms of physical expectations (identity, accomplishments, weight gain, body dysmorphia, etc). I love your post. It hit home for me. Athletes have so much pressure to be more more more better better better and it kills us in the end. It becomes so much of our identity that 1) we fall under the pressure and 2) once the pressure is gone we feel purposeless.
Not nearly enough people are talking about this! And it’s seriously a HUGE problem! Thank you for bringing this to light.
I’d love it if you checked out my post this Friday ❤️❤️❤️
I love that timing and I can't wait to read your post!!!
I can't imagine what it's like to compete at that level. In another life I was a competitive roller skater (yes I swear this is a thing! Why it's not in the Olympics I don't know—it's just as hard as ice if not more so because of the weight!) and only ever competed up to the National level so I feel like I got a taste of it but never to the level of what you've gone through. That identity portion is SO REAL, for any hobby that becomes all-consuming at a young age.
I'm so excited to read your post! Thanks for commenting and for sharing :)
Love this, Angela!! This is something I have been thinking about a ton the past two years and the Olympics definitely brings it to a head. I certainly don't have the answers either, but am happy to see the discussion popping up!
ahh thank you! What's brought it on for you do you think?
My husband was reading this earlier and said "this is something you're passionate about, hu?" I guess I didn't realize I talk about this a lot at home too 😆
I don't know if there is a single specific event, but I think it's partly been brought on due to the changing of my values and priorities as I've gotten older. Also... the way of the world and this constant quest to do more, be more, want more, etc. etc. is really beginning to wear on me 😅
ugh yes I feel that. Those little shifts that you almost don't even notice at first and then...life is just different and values have changed and things look differently.
ugh YES. I wrote and erased that so many times, to be honest. It felt a little TOO raw and.... embarrassing? So it means a lot that of this whole piece you pulled that part out. I'm glad I left it in 🖤
I hadn't even considered the impact of social media on this, but you're right, of course it would play into it all. "Entitled towards people we don't even know..." that's a great way to put it!!
Oh my GOSH I am so lucky to have come across this post… I have a post scheduled for this Friday afternoon that talks about my experience as a lifelong competitive swimmer and how everything I did for that sport is crumbling down on me now that I’ve retired from it. It focuses on mental health in terms of physical expectations (identity, accomplishments, weight gain, body dysmorphia, etc). I love your post. It hit home for me. Athletes have so much pressure to be more more more better better better and it kills us in the end. It becomes so much of our identity that 1) we fall under the pressure and 2) once the pressure is gone we feel purposeless.
Not nearly enough people are talking about this! And it’s seriously a HUGE problem! Thank you for bringing this to light.
I’d love it if you checked out my post this Friday ❤️❤️❤️
I love that timing and I can't wait to read your post!!!
I can't imagine what it's like to compete at that level. In another life I was a competitive roller skater (yes I swear this is a thing! Why it's not in the Olympics I don't know—it's just as hard as ice if not more so because of the weight!) and only ever competed up to the National level so I feel like I got a taste of it but never to the level of what you've gone through. That identity portion is SO REAL, for any hobby that becomes all-consuming at a young age.
I'm so excited to read your post! Thanks for commenting and for sharing :)
So interesting to hear ❤️ thanks for sharing!!! My post is out now, hope you like it :)
Love this, Angela!! This is something I have been thinking about a ton the past two years and the Olympics definitely brings it to a head. I certainly don't have the answers either, but am happy to see the discussion popping up!
ahh thank you! What's brought it on for you do you think?
My husband was reading this earlier and said "this is something you're passionate about, hu?" I guess I didn't realize I talk about this a lot at home too 😆
I don't know if there is a single specific event, but I think it's partly been brought on due to the changing of my values and priorities as I've gotten older. Also... the way of the world and this constant quest to do more, be more, want more, etc. etc. is really beginning to wear on me 😅
ugh yes I feel that. Those little shifts that you almost don't even notice at first and then...life is just different and values have changed and things look differently.
Yup! Exactly
ugh YES. I wrote and erased that so many times, to be honest. It felt a little TOO raw and.... embarrassing? So it means a lot that of this whole piece you pulled that part out. I'm glad I left it in 🖤
I hadn't even considered the impact of social media on this, but you're right, of course it would play into it all. "Entitled towards people we don't even know..." that's a great way to put it!!