There is life after the ELITE!

High-level or high-performance athletes often live in a bubble where your daily life revolves exclusively around sport. You wake up, have breakfast, train, eat your training-adapted meal, rest, train again, have dinner, and recover. At least, that has been my daily routine for over 12 years competing at the highest level.

People ask me: Did you like it? Was it worth it? Wasn’t it too hard or sacrificial?… Of course, it was one of the toughest stages of my life, but also one of the most beautiful, the stage that made me grow, learn, become who I am now… and it earned me many medals I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

Suddenly, you start having a life!

But suddenly that day comes, a day you had thought about but wasn’t real yet—the day you decide to leave elite sports behind and continue studying, start having days. Suddenly, you start having a life! The moment comes when you can go to the movies, or someone makes a comment about TV, current events... and you know what they’re talking about! You’re no longer a Martian living in your bubble.

Honestly, it’s tough to start being a normal person because no one had explained or taught you what life outside elite sports was like. Sometimes, after so long living in that bubble, which can feel a bit artificial.

There should be more support or guidance when ending a sports career.

It’s a complicated transition; the step from elite to “normal” life should definitely come with more support or at least guidance for elite athletes. The goal would be to prevent some athletes from becoming “broken toys,” as it can be hard to find help or career options that allow you to move forward as before.

Fortunately, little by little and thanks to social media and the brands and sponsors that support minority athletes. These brands ensure that even if you are no longer an elite athlete, they continue to support you for all you have achieved and for everything you are doing to reach new goals and challenges.
And for that, I am infinitely grateful to SIZEN and their entire team for joining me on this triathlete journey and providing me with excellent recovery. This way, I can balance my daily training with my studies.

This post was written by: Clara Camacho, Clara was the world runner-up in synchronized swimming and is currently a triathlete.

In case you didn’t know how pressotherapy works.