Adaptation to Athletic Retirement and Perceptions About Aging: A Qualitative Study of Retired Olympic Athletes

Abstract

Self-perceptions about aging have implications for health and well-being; however, less is known about how these perceptions influence adaptation to major life transitions. The goal of this study was to examine how high-performance athletes’ perceptions about aging influenced their adaptation to athletic retirement. In-depth interviews conducted with 24 retired Olympic athletes using thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (a) perceptions about aging influenced participants’ postretirement exercise habits, (b) perceptions about aging motivated participants to engage in civic activities, and (c) participants who lacked formative perceptions about aging associated their athletic retirement with their own lost sense of purpose. These findings provide evidence that perceptions about aging influence athletes’ adaptation to retirement by directing their subsequent engagement in postretirement activities. Furthermore, this research highlights theoretical implications for the literature regarding embodied processes, retirement transitions, role models, and adaptation to new physical states.

Adaptation to life after sport for retired athletes: A scoping review of existing reviews and programs

“…In addition to the challenge of athletic identity, the academic literature highlighted an important threat for athletes who ended their career on a low (i.e., who were dissatisfied with their performance or were forced to retire due to injury, finances, skill, or personal issues). In line with prior research [ 41 , 46 , 47 ], it is clear that athletes whose career terminations were characterized by regret and loss were particularly prone to difficulties with their retirement transition; an abrupt ending to an athlete’s sporting career without purposeful planning can leave athletes feeling lost. In particular, strong athletic identity combined with a traumatic career termination puts athletes in a very difficult scenario early in their lives [ 48 ].…”

From athletic excellence to academic influence: a study of retired Chinese athletes transitioning into the higher education sector

“…The intrinsic desire to remain connected to sports while contributing to societal well-being reflects a commendable pursuit of purpose post-retirement, also serving as a bridge between their past athletic identities and their future professional selves. Silver (2021) emphasizes that pursuing an education career could help retired athletes redefine their professional identities while leveraging their passion. This passion-driven motivation is echoed in Phase 1, where participants articulated a strong desire to impact future generations’ health and fitness positively.…”

From legends to legacy: the impact of fan influence on retiring athletes in premier league basketball

“…According to the stereotype embodiment theory, people internalize socially generated stereotypes about aging into their perceptions of their own aging which can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies that have a negative impact on their health (Levy, 2009;Silver, 2021). For athletes, retirement is considered to be a critical stage in one's career, and has accordingly attracted research attention.…”