In addition to undergoing therapy, Henderson also participated in a USOPC program. pivotThe athletes, who are retired or nearing retirement from both Olympic and Paralympic sports, first participated in a four-day retreat to explore deep questions of identity and purpose and build meaningful bonds. They then met monthly on Zoom for six months, then created a WhatsApp text group, which they still use to keep in touch with each other. “When you leave sport, there’s this fear that you’ll be isolated and alone,” says Henderson. “But I think we all heal together.”
The USOPC also Offers That includes one-on-one career coaching, financial coaching, and mental health resources. Previously, some services were only available to competitive athletes, and resources for Olympic and Paralympic athletes were separate, Shapiro says. But now, any Team USA member can receive up to two years of psychological services and up to 10 years of other career-related benefits. year After retirement.
Some companies are also supporting retiring Paralympic athletes. During the Games, Nike Announced The company has partnered with the USOPC to launch a one-year career program called GameOn at its headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. The program is open to everyone, but there is an emphasis on including people with disabilities, with Paralympic athletes ApplyParticipants will receive education, mentorship, and professional development in addition to traditional employment benefits. “There’s a bridge that needs to be built between the sports arena and the corporate environment,” Vanessa Garcia Brito, Nike’s chief impact officer, tells SELF. Applications will open on September 12, with the first group scheduled to start work on February 4, 2025.
Athletes and experts say these targeted opportunities would be beneficial for Paralympians if they knew about them. “Athletes need to be made aware of these opportunities early on in their careers,” Forber-Pratt says. That way, athletes have time to think things through and steer their lives in the direction they want, rather than feeling like they have to take the first job they find.
Building a fulfilling, balanced life while still competing — treating sport as an aspect of one’s identity — can prepare athletes for the next step, while also making them happier and healthier along the way, says Dr. Leibowitz. This could mean making and spending time with friends outside of sport, staying connected with family, attending school or finding ways to get involved in the community.
When Dr. Leibovitz begins coaching athletes on mental performance, she asks them where they see themselves in 10 years and what their potential is after they’ve achieved their sporting goals. While it may not be the time to pursue a different career or a family while playing, it’s worth it for athletes to know that they may want to do these things one day. “If anything, it makes them work even harder at what they’re doing now,” she says.
Forber-Pratt admits that if she could go back in time, she’d plan further ahead, but if she could speak to her younger self at the most difficult time, she’d offer some encouraging words: “It might not turn out the way you imagined, but it’s actually going to be OK.”
The biggest advice Henderson would give to other retiring Paralympians is to know that while the journey may be a rollercoaster, eventually the hardest parts will probably smooth out. “There’s no wrong way to feel,” Henderson says. “Feel what you’re feeling, and don’t stay in a place of self-criticism. It looks and feels different for different people, and it’s a temporary part of life until you’re settled on a new footing. There’s no wrong way to do it.”
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