As a child, swimmer Elijah Winnington dreamt of profitable gold for Australia on the Commonwealth Video games, however he by no means realised the challenges that would include it.
The 22-year-old has achieved unimaginable success, profitable three gold medals in Birmingham in 2022 to go together with one other gold on the Gold Coast in 2018.
Regardless of the success, Winnington says returning to normality has been difficult for his psychological well being.
“The first three months after any major competition is probably the hardest, regardless of if you have done well or if you haven’t lived up to expectations,” he says.
“You have gone from such a high to then you are just back doing the same old grind waking up and going to the pool.
“You type of sit again and go, ‘Oh properly, was that each one actually price it?'”
Winnington says he has been able to draw on his experiences following the Tokyo Olympics, where he suffered from “extreme despair” and “virtually give up swimming” after the games.
“What motivated me was fascinated by what’s subsequent and understanding this is not it for me — that basically helped me get by it,” he says.
Winnington says it is an issue that is facing almost every sportsperson.
“No matter whether or not it has been a profitable or unsuccessful journey, you’re going to come residence and face some type of problem,” he says.
‘I bodily could not do it’
Lawn bowler Ellen Ryan achieved the “greatest second” of her life when she grew to become a twin gold medallist on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games.
Five months later, the Goulburn local reveals she has struggled to come to terms with the success she achieved in Birmingham.
“Going again to actuality has been a tricky one, attempting to adapt to the change I’ve had,” she says.
In the final of the women’s pairs match against England, the 25-year-old bowled the winning shot during the tiebreaker to claim gold with teammate Kristina Krstic.
Ryan says that moment has had a lasting impact on her.
“I performed a bowl underneath a lot strain however now, in on a regular basis life, I battle with issues that I should not,” she says.
“Throughout a social sport of golf we needed to make the putt to win and I bodily could not do it. I needed my teammate to do it.”
Ryan says her friends and family are helping her deal with the “rollercoaster journey” she has been on.
“Till you’ve truly skilled the highs and lows, that’s when you’ll be able to mirror on it and understand how you take care of it,” she says.
Frequent problem for athletes
Professor Rosemary Purcell from Melbourne University’s elite sports and mental health team says it is a challenge that many athletes face.
“Anecdotally a lot of athletes do discuss scuffling with this type of post-Olympic or post-major-competition blues that it definitely would not be unusual amongst elite athletes,” she says.
Professor Purcell says the pressure and energy that goes into being a successful athlete makes adjusting to reality difficult.
“The funding of time and bodily and psychological power that goes into the preparation for these main competitions, there may be virtually a spring launch on the finish of that,” she says.
“It’s like ‘What now? I’ve devoted a lot to this one occasion, what do I do now?’ — particularly the place there was success that may be tough for athletes.”
Winnington is back in the pool training for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, and is all too aware of the mental health challenges he’ll face on his return.
“I believe each athlete or high-performance particular person can be mendacity in saying that they got here residence and so they have been simply nice and cherished life,” he says.
“We’re human identical to all people else and we now have feelings.”
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