Many swimmers experience challenges as they transition within their swimming pathway or out of swimming.
Below are stories as to how other swimmers managed that transition.
If you would like to use our mentoring programme or contribute to it, we would encourage you to contact us at mentoring@nzswimmingalumni.org.nz
aRTICLE onE
For me personally, the transition out was a very challenging experience and was a bit of a roller coaster time in my life. I think what I probably struggled with the most was fitting back into the world without being ‘the swimmer’ and being without a clear direction.
Looking back, I think as athletes we get pretty tied up in identifying with our performances and thinking people will think less of us for failing or being a human. In reality, nobody actually cares, which I think is pretty liberating – I could tell my mum I swam a 6.34 for my 400 free and she would say ‘great swim!’.
I was pretty lucky, I had plenty of interests outside of swimming when I was competing, so was actually pretty excited about pursuing other interests once I had finished. I probably got a bit too excited and tried to do too much when I finished and ended up burning out badly. The good news is, if you’re realistic and well prepared, you would be amazed at people’s kindness in giving you an opportunity – I know I had some key people who really helped me get a foot in the door.
If I was to give some advice for someone who was about to transition – it would be to understand it won’t happen overnight, and to reach out to someone if your struggling with something. I also know I probably wasn’t the easiest person to be around when I was transitioning out, so try to be appreciative of family and friends, at the end of the day they will be the ones who get you through to the other side.
ARTICLE TWO
At the end of high school, I shifted my whole life to America to swim in the American collegiate system. This meant for four and a half years my life revolved around swimming, my teammates, university, and not much else.
Four and a half years later, I decided to end my swimming career when I graduated to start life in a new direction. Transitioning from swimming and life in America to back home in New Zealand proved very tough. I was unsure of what I wanted to do, where I wanted to live, who I was, and how to fill all the free time I suddenly had. I always thought once I finished swimming I would have it all figured out, but when I finished swimming and didn’t have anything figured out, I was unsure how to act.
What I realised was what I loved most about swimming, and what kept me in the sport for fifteen years, was my love for the water. Using this, I decided to find a job that involved water and took opportunities to work and become an instructor in the SCUBA industry. Working in SCUBA has led to some very different and unique opportunities that I did not know existed and has been an incredible experience.
My best advice to someone transitioning out of swimming would be to take your time to figure things out. Don’t get frustrated at yourself when you don’t have it figured out immediately, but use the time to work out what interests you, what you like, to try new things and be open to opportunities.
ARTICLE THREE
Like most competitive athletes, my life revolved around my sport for many years. I loved swimming and all the opportunities it gave me. Transitioning into a life without swimming was a process.
Rather, learning a life without identifying as an athlete is a process I am still working through. I believe that all athletes exiting their sporting careers should anticipate a journey which takes time and it is crucial that they know that other athletes face similar challenges.
For me personally, as I left the swimming world, I launched my heart and soul into developing a Non-Profit dog rescue. This organization became my major focus and I loved every moment. I identified with my team of rescuers and I committed my time and effort into this group. This team helped me learn that I could find new passions and identities beyond swimming. I am so grateful for that organization because it was part of my journey to learn to identify myself without swimming.
Since developing the Non-Profit, I have continued my journey in many ways. I have moved to Colorado, nearly finished my Master’s in Business Administration, married, established myself as a spin instructor, found new circles of friends, and more. I still carry elements of my competitive swimming life. Some of these elements are great, such as my capacity to time manage and compartmentalize. However, there are other elements which still linger that I work to slowly extinguish. I struggle with guilt when I do not exercise. As an athlete you learn to feel an element of guilt if you ever miss a training or lifting session. To this day, I feel pangs of guilt if I choose to skip an exercise class for any reason. These days, exercise is something I purely do for enjoyment and there is no pressure to maintain attendance. However, it is an old habit that continues to play with my mind. Hence, it is a process! A process I am still working through.
Ultimately, I was very lucky to engulf myself into the dog rescue right out of my swimming career and I would advise the same strategy to any newly retired athlete. Find something you are passionate about and jump into it! If you are not sure what that passion is – explore! Now that you do not have training commitments you can challenge yourself to try new things. It is OK, in fact it is NORMAL to feel uncertain and unsure of your next steps. I have many friends who were elite athletes and many of them share similar feelings of uncertainty and challenges with identity. I hope this challenging retirement process becomes more of a mainstream conversation. For some athletes, the transition period may be a matter of mental health. I hope in the future there is bigger space for our Kiwi swimmers and athletes to speak about this.