A former Canadian Olympic canoeist is warning other Olympians about a post-competition lull that he says exists for some athletes when they return home from the Games.
Thomas Hall, a canoeist who won Bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, says he found himself in a slump after retiring from the sport. Hall suffered from both anxiety and alcoholism in the years that followed his retirement. Now he wants to help other athletes from falling into the same trap.
“You get home and it’s a bit of a whirlwind for maybe a month or two and then things really settle down,” Hall told CTV News Channel. “It’s in that period where it can get tough, kind of the post-Olympic downturn.”
According to Hall, sports are structured around one big goal: winning. However, he said, that goal does not exist in the same way once an athlete retires or returns home. Instead athletes face multiple smaller goals that don’t feel as important or useful as their previous Olympic dream.
“Normal life doesn’t involve a single goal like the Olympics,” said Hall. “I definitely struggled with it for years after I hung up my paddle.”
Hall added that many athletes find their identity is wrapped up in the sport they compete in, especially when it’s been a part of their lives for a decade or two. He said some even find it difficult to redefine themselves after they retire. He recommended that, while some athletes crave a break after they return from the competition, they get back to their regular life as soon as possible in order to regain a sense of normality.
He said getting out there and doing different jobs is another way to deal with the downturn.
Hall also said it’s important athletes have a plan for their life after the Games even before they retire.
“I think if I could do it again, I would do it all again,” said Hall. “I love sports but if I could make a couple of changes it would be to have a plan in place.”
