The life of an olympic athlete

Sarah Robles / Otagenki.com

Olympic athletes have a rigorous training schedule and dedicate their lives to their sport, but what is not as immediately obvious are their financial struggles. Often, Olympic athletes depend solely on the funding of their sponsors to get through their training, leaving them to find another source of income to provide for their basic needs.

“Heading into the Sochi Games, some of the USA’s elite athletes live below the poverty line,” Kelly Whiteside wrote  in a 2013 USA TODAY Sports article.

Sarah Robles, an olympic weight lifter, is one of the many Olympic athletes that struggled economically through most of her Olympic training. Her priorities shifted from funding her Olympic journey to supporting her basic needs of food and shelter. The only way she was able to continue her training was through donations made by people close to her, and her motivation for success.

Olympic athletes are faced with the problem of their life after sport. An Olympic athlete dedicates many years of his/her life to training, leaving many without a plan of what to do next. After retiring from a sport, there is a major adjustment to make from practicing everyday, to pursuing a job and not being able to play their sport as much.

“For world-class athletes who have focused their lives on training, their next Olympian task has no direct path: Readjusting to a routine outside competitive sports and creating a new life that may or may not involve the limelight,” Raissa Ioussouf wrote in a 2012 article for the Huffington Post.

Olympians have to find something else to occupy their time with after they retire, since they do not exercise as much. Before their Olympic careers end, Olympians have very busy schedules. In preparation for big competitions such as the Olympics, Olympians commit most of their day to training and leading a healthy life. Aside from just playing their sport, Olympians have a lot of other training to do such as weightlifting and conditioning to stay fit for their season.

“I usually swim, bike and run every day and do strength and conditioning work two or three days a week.” Helen Jenkins, an Olympic triathlete, said in a 2012 Sport Wale article.

Part of what makes Olympians so valuable and admirable is that they do what is hard for many people by going beyond what is thought humans can do. Although what the Olympians achieve is apparent, what is less clear, is the amount of time they spend training for their success and the difficulty it takes to get there.

Written by Asimina Hamakiotes and Harry Smith

Tom Brady, from adversity to applause

Tom Brady / Kieth Allison-flickr.com

Many professional athletes must overcome immense adversity throughout their career. One prime example is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Apart from his three Super Bowl Championships and illustrious career, Brady struggled through much of his early years of football.

Brady didn't have the greatest college career, he actually had a mediocre run with the University of Michigan. His first two years he played as a backup to future NFL quarterback Brian Griese. He ended up as the seventh player on the depth chart and had to battle Drew Henson for a starting job, leading him to frustration and anxiety.

Greg Harden, a sports psychologist at the University of Michigan, was approached by young Brady. Brady said that Harden kicked him into a higher gear mentally.

“Your whole life, people have always told you how great you are as an athlete,” Brady said in a 2014 Detroit Free Press article. “He’s probably the first person in your life that says, ‘Well, you don’t deserve to really be on the field.’”

At the beginning of his junior year, Brady spent many hours studying film and practicing every throw on the field, something he would become known for in his later career. During his third year, he beat out Henson for the starting position and led the Wolverines to a 9-2 record in his senior year, en route to a victory against Alabama in the Orange Bowl, 34-33.

After two years of being overlooked, Brady changed his own life. He became the player that would be the first one to practice and the last one leaving the film room. Football went from a game he played, to what he loved. He was able to change his state of mind and become the calm and collected future Hall of Fame player he is today.

"He always believes there is someone behind him that is going to take his job," Temple University’s offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler says. "He is 34 years old and approaches the game like he just got drafted in the sixth round."