201: Vivien Olatunji - The Grief That Comes With Leaving Sport
From Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves · 57:40
Show by Ryan Gonsalves
Send us Fan MailFor years, Vivien Olatunji's life revolved around athletics. She represented England at under-20 level, was called up to the GB under-20 relay squad and had her sights set on competing at the highest level.But pursuing that dream also meant working to fund her own career, rushing from the office to training, dealing with injuries, changing coaches and navigating financial and family pressures. Then COVID disrupted everything. Training groups changed, facilities closed and Vivien eventually lost the coach who had helped her find her spark again.By the summer of 2021, there was no big retirement announcement. Vivien simply stopped competing. In this episode, she talks about the grief that followed, going to therapy and having to work out who she was when she was no longer “Vivien the athlete.”Today, Vivien works in fintech, coaches and is building Track & Fits, a platform created to amplify athletes' voices beyond the stadium and help them explore what comes next.What You’ll Hear:Vivien's journey from promising young sprinter to representing EnglandWhat it really took financially to keep competingBalancing work, university and elite-level trainingHow injuries, changing coaches and COVID affected her careerWhy she quietly stopped competing in 2021Grieving the Olympic dream and the person she thought she would becomeHow therapy helped her through the transitionRealising she didn't have to erase “Vivien the athlete”Turning skills from the track into skills she could use at workWhy athletes should start exploring life outside sport before retirementGolden Nugget“I eventually realised that I didn't actually lose my identity, I just had to find a way to expand on that.”Want to go deeper?If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.
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