How athletes keep their spirits burning after the Olympics
Olympians may suffer depression, but need to focus on lives outside of sport after Rio Games, says expert
During the Olympic Games, millions of fans are captivated by coverage of sports they might not otherwise follow.
But while the spectators move on after the Games, many athletes have to deal with falling out of the spotlight — an adjustment that can be a struggle.
"There's an identity that athletes have that's associated with their sport, with their representation of their country. And when they come home from the Olympics, they have to adjust to the fact that that athlete village is no longer there. So there could be a letdown," said Heidi Weigand, who works in the field of mental resilience at the Saint Mary's University Centre for the Study of Sport and Health.
Athletes learn to separate selves from sport
Most athletes are counselled well in advance to prepare for that feeling, she said — in fact, it's part of their psychological training.
One of the keys is helping athletes recognize there's more to their lives and their personalities than the sport at which they excel. That can be a tall order for athletes who spend a significant part of their lives in training.
"At a given time going into the Olympics, it might be important to solely focus on that, so that they can get themselves into the zone. But as soon as they leave, it's important that they remember that they're a human being, and they have multiple identities at any given time," Weigand said.
"They're human beings, they're a person in a family, they're a person in a potential work or school environment … or maybe it's volunteer work that they do. So it's really important for an athlete in particular to recognize that they're more than that just that particular sport, or that performer in that sport."
She competed with the Canadian sailing team at the 2012 London Olympics (under her maiden name, Dube), capping off nine years on the national team.
Feeling depressed 'pretty much normal'
Before the London Olympics, she'd anticipated taking some time off and enrolled in a few classes. But she said life after the Games was still tough.
"You can mitigate it a little bit in terms of having a plan set out for yourself, but it's just a major life choice. It's kind of how I would imagine people feel when they retire at 65 or whatever age," she said.
"I did try to mitigate it a bit, but I think it's important for people to go through a certain period of not knowing what you want to do, and even being a little bit depressed. I think that's pretty much normal."
Kennedy is now in her first year of medical school in Australia and looking forward to a new chapter in her life.
But she said she still grieves the loss of sailing — not just the competition, but also the loss of closeness with the team of people who helped her succeed.
Plus, she doesn't work out nearly as much.
"Once you become, for lack of a better word, more of a 'normal person,' you really see how difficult it is to put fitness into your daily routine if you're not being held to it."
Olympic thrill drives athlete between Games
Coming home after the Games is a different experience for those who continue in their sport, hoping to get to the next Olympic Games.
Luke Demetre is a Canadian bobsledder who was a last-minute substitute at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games after his teammates crashed in the previous race.
"It's not even in the same ballpark," he said.
"It's so loud, there's so much going on, there's so many more Canadian flags than in all these other international competitions. We compete internationally all the time, but there's this special feeling to the whole thing."
Demetre ended up finishing near the end of the pack, but it was just the taste he needed to keep him training as hard as he can.
It is hard to go from the national spotlight to being just another face in the crowd within a matter of days, he said.
"You'd be surprised. There's a lot of Olympians walking around, and you'd never know."
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