The last few weeks have been full of athlete retirement news – from New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu to Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Carter. But just because athletes hang up their cleats, that doesn’t mean they won’t come out of retirement in the future.
Athletes can retire at an earlier age than regular people, and for many it can be a hard transition. These stars must go from living on a well-managed, highly compensated lifestyle to surviving on minimum wages and often with little support. They must also find a way to stay fit and active and figure out who they are outside their sport.
It’s no secret that Olympic athletes are not prepared for life after competition, and a recent survey by the British Elite Athletes Association found that almost half of Paris Olympians and Paralympians don’t feel ready. To help ease the transition, a newly launched program from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee aims to make life post-sport easier by offering a stipend for retired athletes. The program was made possible by a $100 million “anchor funding gift” from Stevens.
The first athletes to receive the support will be those who competed in two or more Olympics or Paralympic Games. The amount of money an athlete will receive depends on how many Games they competed in – a former Olympic or Paralympic swimmer would receive $400,000, while a swimmer who won three Olympic or Paralympic medals would qualify for $600,000. In a video she posted on social media Thursday, Alex Morgan, one of the top players in National Women’s Soccer League history, described her own exit from the game.