In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a flurry of athlete retirement news. From New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu to Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Carter, athletes across the globe have been hanging up their cleats. But retiring doesn’t have to mean the end of an athletic career. Many former pros have found success in business, fashion, broadcasting and even restaurants. Others, like Olympic champion swimmers Michael Phelps and Jessica Ennis-Hill, have stayed close to the sport by becoming commentators or coaches. Still, it’s not easy to walk away from a career that has been an integral part of one’s identity for so long.
For some, figuring out when it’s time to quit can be an emotional and psychological struggle. For example, Team GB swimmer Alice Dearing knew she’d retire if she didn’t qualify for the Paris Olympics, so when things went “catastrophically wrong” during her heat in August, she knew it was time to call it a day.
For elite athletes, the transition to retirement can be just as hard as the shift from amateur to professional status. In fact, according to a survey by the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA), almost half of the country’s Olympians and Paralympians say they don’t feel prepared for life after their sport. So we spoke to some of the athletes who thought they were ready to throw in the towel but ended up “un-retiring” and coming back better than ever.