Anna Watkins, who won gold in double sculls at the London 2012 Olympics, has compared the transition to life after elite athletics to the uncertainties of being a teenager.
Watkins, who is now 41, stepped away from rowing to start a family. She is currently the Chief Executive of the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA), where she is working to remind athletes of the support available to them after their sporting careers end.
“To not have that identity as an athlete anymore is a massive shock,” Watkins told the PA news agency. “You really think, ‘who am I now?’ It’s like being a teenager all over again. You don’t know which way to look, or how to be in the world, if you’re not an athlete. For me, it was a really shaky, shaky time.”
Watkins emphasized that athletes may experience an identity crisis after retiring, as they no longer have the same purpose and structure in their lives. She also highlighted the importance of organizations like the BEAA, UK Sport, and the UK Sports Institute (UKSI) in providing support and guidance to athletes transitioning out of competitive sport.
