Abstract
Retirement from high-performance sport represents a critical transition period for athletes and is frequently associated with increased risks of negative physical and mental health outcomes. Athlete retirement transition has been a focus of research and intervention development in the past decades, primarily centering on transferrable skills, mental health and well-being, and career transition. However, little attention has been paid to the transition of physical activity (PA) motivators and attitudes once athletes are separated from elite training and competition. A phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews was implemented to gain an understanding of 10 recently retired Canadian National Team athletes’ relationship with PA. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, and codes were organized into four main themes. First, “Redefining the game” describes the shift athletes made to find sustainable PA after retirement. Second, “Meaningful motivators” shows how athletes motivated themselves by finding new meaning in PA. Third, “From drive to drift” explains how athletes struggled with motivation and their new, lower level of PA. Finally, “Contextual factors” were circumstances of competitive life that impacted athletes’ approaches to PA through the retirement transition. These results tell a story of moving away from performance-driven PA, grappling with the loss of that motivation, and the creation of new meaning in PA, influenced by the athletes’ careers and retirement stories. This information can help guide how sport organizations, coaches, and athletes themselves prepare for athletic retirement including a focused approach to creating a sustainable, healthy, and physically active lives.
