Post Olympic Stress shows up in a lot of different ways and a lot of different places.
Look around and you'll see it: the blank stares that won't be satisfied with anything BUT live Olympic action.
People are on a quest - a quest to find something to fill that Post Olympic void.
But what's harder to see is the ECONOMIC void left behind by the Olympic Games...
The Olympic athletes are often the first to feel the crunch. Even with sponsorships, the cost of competing in the Olympics can be ENORMOUS! There's gear to buy, coaches to hire, specialists to see, and the travel costs can be astronomical.
"Real jobs" get put on hold, savings accounts bleed money and (especially if you come home without a medal), people aren't just lining up to give you money or help pay off the mountain of debts you've accumulated.
After speaking with one Olympian they were quoted as saying, “I'm a living witness. I'm here to tell you right now that I racked up a HEAP of debt while training for the Olympics. And the running joke, “If you're not willing to go into debt then you're not willing to go [to the Olympics]." Unfortunately, going into debt is “par for the course" for the smaller sports out there. I'd had to think about how much is costs to do Equestrian. Because I know that horses are expensive."
A conversation with another Olympian yielded this response when talking about his post-Olympic financial woes, “Debt? Ha!! I stopped talking about debt a long time ago. I don't think about the money, I just think about winning. There will be enough time to get depressed thinking about the money I spent later. I have to focus on the training so at least I can get some joy and satisfaction from being at the top of the medal stand. But, oh boy, when you come back home to a mountain of debt after the Olympic Games, that is a super sobering experience. And a sad one."
Once the Olympics are over, you come back home, wondering what you're going to do with life NOW.
Nothing feels the same, but time stops for no man (or woman). There were bills to pay, a job to go to, a family to care for...
Many Olympians are going through the same thing even as we speak. Less than a month after the closing ceremonies, “real life" is waiting for them.
The pressure can be SUFFOCATING!
And it's not like we're along in this. It doesn't just affect us, and it doesn't just affect athletes. Post Olympic Economic Stress can be felt everywhere, by everyone.
Take China for example... Host cities are historically the largest beneficiaries of the Olympic Games. If you take a look at the past six Olympic hosts, you'll find that in EVERY case, the stock indices went on the rise. These rises are attributed to a number of factors - the slowdown of industrial production, decreased inflation and lower bond yields.
Unfortunately, though, the confidence of Chinese investors is already on shaky ground. While Beijing's investment of over $40 billion is paying off now, in the short-term, the long-term forecast is ANYONE'S guess.
Then, there's Australia, perhaps the most vocal Post-Olympic Stress sufferers.
When Sydney hosted the games in 2000, they expected a massive influx of cash to flood their economy - but it didn't happen. The flood they expected barely turned out to be a trickle.
Businesses struggled to return their productivity to pre-Olympic levels. HR professionals worked tirelessly to find ways for employees to deal with the lingering affects of chronic withdrawal. And, of all possible people, taxi drivers felt the biggest effects, and they felt them first.
They had spent all of this money hoping for a huge return and not only were they let down mentally, but they were wrecked financially
While it may take WEEKS for the reality of Post Olympic stress to really set in, that's where we are right now.
The point is going for the Gold is anything BUT cheap. The costs are far-reaching, no matter how deep your pockets may be! But the Olympic “bug" (or drug) is so strong that one “hit" can suck you in and make you a “user" for life.
Rhadi Ferguson (http://www.Rhadi.com) is a 2004 Olympian and has coached many World Class Athletes and Olympians, he has seen and experience the effects of Post Olympic Depression and the Post Olympic Blues first hand. He knows what it looks like, how to handle it and what measures need have to be put in place in order to minimize its effect on athletes. He is currently in the process of writing a book on Post Olympic Depression with 2-Time Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray. If you are interested in getting an inside scoop on what really goes on in the minds of Olympians while they are training then you must visit http://www.BeyondTheRings.com
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