Current | |
Excellent (n=19) | ‘I train once a day sometimes twice walk dogs regularly have a wonderful family, friends, communities, home, and job, and eat properly’ |
Above average (n=41) | ‘I am generally well and live an active life—not as quick or agile as I used to be and for sure strength and stamina are not what they used to be. However I still think I am able to do things as I used to—I have a positive approach to my life. Most of my “complaints” I put down to aging and have to get on with life. My knee and hip issues have both been examined and treated and are not bad enough for replacement yet!’ |
Average (n=10) | ‘I experience foot pain daily, but I also think this is a normal lived experience for most people. My mental health is suboptimal at the moment, maybe because of struggling my athlete transition or the pandemic, as the world is feeling.’ |
Below average (n=3) | ‘I am currently struggling with stress and anxiety due to life burnout coinciding, unfortunately, with the onset of menopause and its depressive inputs. My physical state is ok. My body is frustratingly refusing to release 10 lbs that should not be there…thanks again to the combination of burnout & menopause. I tapped out my adrenals which no longer help me with stress. My mental state is not good. I am off work. I abused myself, re: not sleeping, relying on caffeine, satisfied with nothing less than perfection in all areas of my life (which was of course not possible) for a long time before finally succumbing to the mental effects. I crashed and burned about a year ago.’ |
Poor (n=1) | ‘I suffer from anxiety and depression, I'm single parenting a young child in a pandemic. I am exhausted. Parenting might be the original extreme sport!!!’ |
Immediately post-retirement |
Excellent (n=33) | ‘Very fit; had ended my career on a high note re accomplishments; had great family supports; and good education and job opportunities ahead of me.’ |
Above average (n=21) | ‘Despite being mentally shattered—I was healthy and fit. Probably still a better combo than the average person.’ |
Average (n=12) | ‘When I left the team I now realize that I had been in a state of over trained for quite some time (not sleeping, GI distress, mentally exhausted and overwhelmed, feeling some despair or hopelessness, highly emotional, injured physically). Although my physical health improved after a few months to a year, I still struggle with many psychological issues created during my time on the team (not enough, have to do more to prove myself despite injuries, illness and what I know inside is right). It has taken 5 years of working with a different sport coach who can rein me in and let me know when I’m over doing it or getting caught up in old habits/responses. Gaining trust of a coach again. I’d say I’m 95% of the way there. The rest can likely be chalked up to personality traits.’ |
Below average (n=6) | ‘It was hard to walk away. Broke. My wife just had our first child so it was a massive change all at once. Physically stayed fit but mental health suffered.’ |
Poor (n=3) | ‘I hated my body, felt invaluable and unappreciated. I felt that I had wasted years of my life and accomplished nothing. Like I had been swept aside and left to figure out life after sport in my own. There was no support for retraining or figuring out life afterwards. Financial support had been cut by sport Canada and my mental health was suffering as I tried to figure out how to support myself in a city far from my family.’ |
During training and competition |
Excellent (n=39) | ‘I was very fit, was driven to achieve my rugby goals, had a job that supported my rugby goals, had a dog, and supported by good friends and family.’ |
Above average (n=23) | ‘Training is always challenging—fatigue, managing injury, but I always enjoyed what I was doing and managed to get an education, had opportunities to travel, developed great friendships throughout my athletic career’ |
Average (n=11) | ‘I struggled with low iron/ferritin, stress fractures, overtraining, and low body fat levels, which I feel all impaired my performance and tolerance of the training load. Financial stressors, and “culture” issues within the sport contributed to the health issues above.’ |
Below average (n=1) | ‘Many rib fractures, illness, insomnia, weight fluctuations (some for the better injury wise but not mentally), bad psychological/emotional state developed over time learned through treatment by coaches and federation.’ |
Poor (n=0) | None |