Olympic medalist, Rebecca Twigg, homeless in Seattle

[Tricia]

This article in the Seattle times is a real eye opener about how someone can rise to the top of a field and find themselves struggling to find a place in life after competition.
What an Olympic medalist has to say about homelessness

Snip from article:
She was spotted at 17 by famous cycling coach Eddie Borysewicz. After she won the world championship, he invited her to live in the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and train for the 1984 Olympic Games, where for the first time, women would be competing on bicycles.

Americans dominated the Olympics that year. Twigg won a silver medal, missing gold by a few inches to famous racer Connie Carpenter. She continued on her way up over the next several years, setting world records, winning world titles, and racing more than 60 times a year. She became known for her competition in individual pursuit, where two cyclists start at the same time on opposite sides of the track and each tries to catch the other. She’s still among the most-decorated athletes in pursuit.

“Once you’ve done something that feels like you’re born to do it, it’s hard to find anything that’s that good of a fit.”

 

[Nancy Hummel]

Very sad. Debi Thomas, the skater and physician, has lost almost everything and lives in a trailer in West Virginia. It is surprising that people who are clearly intelligent and driven, end up like this.

 

[AmyPJ]

Very sad. Debi Thomas, the skater and physician, has lost almost everything and lives in a trailer in West Virginia. It is surprising that people who are clearly intelligent and driven, end up like this.

Isn't that the truth.
It leaves me scratching my head a little...or a lot.
I mean, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. I wonder how much depression/anxiety/etc. plays into them not getting out there and doing what needs to be done?

 

[Andy Mink]

From the article:
"She still won’t accept housing for herself, even when help is offered by people who’ve found out about her state; her homelessness was mentioned in a cycling magazine last month.

“The point is not so much that I need help"

Unfortunately, she DOES need help. Not necessarily in the form of housing, but help nonetheless. To be sure, many, if not most, homeless people need some type of mental help. In her case she needs someone to make her feel comfortable with accepting assistance when offered and to not feel guilty about her success. A very sad case.

 

[EricG]

I wonder how much depression/anxiety/etc. plays into them not getting out there and doing what needs to be done?

This is a huge problem that needs more attention than it currently gets.

 

[scott43]

It's a bit of a read, but if you're a hockey fan and you remember Joe Murphy (who I picked in countless playoff hockey pools)...
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/joe-murphy-homeless-kenora-stanley-cup/

We had Bryan Trottier give a talk here a few weeks back..someone asked him about the transition from NHL Stanley Cup champ to "regular" life..he said it was very hard..nothing can replace the adrenaline rush of going out in Game 1 of the 1st round knowing you're gonna make a night of it.. It is a thing..and some of those people are used by others to get something or somewhere and forgotten about pretty quickly...

 

[AmyPJ]

From the article:
"She still won’t accept housing for herself, even when help is offered by people who’ve found out about her state; her homelessness was mentioned in a cycling magazine last month.

“The point is not so much that I need help"

Unfortunately, she DOES need help. Not necessarily in the form of housing, but help nonetheless. To be sure, many, if not most, homeless people need some type of mental help. In her case she needs someone to make her feel comfortable with accepting assistance when offered and to not feel guilty about her success. A very sad case.

Yes, she definitely does need help. And sometimes, that leg up that is offered is all you need to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

 

[David Chaus]

I am somewhat familiar with the shelter they mentioned in the article, and it’s a great program.

She does need help, and it’s interesting and unfortunate (and a common sentiment) that she feels she can’t accept help because there’s so many other people who also need help, especially with housing. However she isn’t doing anyone else any good if she isn’t in a strong place herself. If her life was more stable she could be a great advocate for dealing with homelessness and mental health challenges.

It’s sometimes hard to accept that we are deserving or receiving help or support.

 

[graham418]

Many top level athletes find themselves lost after their amateur careers are over. Ones that are able to transition into a professional career are the minority, and only if your sport is one that has professional options. Many Olympians compete in sports for which there is no market or avenue after the ring cycle. Civilian life can be difficult to adapt to , from top of your game, winner of many accolades, to regular joe, working stiff.
Some can parlay their skill set into other career paths, but some can flounder. Depression and other mental health issues can come to the forefront.
Ms Twigg was a cycling star when I was young and into cycling in a big way, it is sad to read this

 

[David Chaus]

Another factor with Rebecca Twigg is that her childhood was unstable, and she was out of the house and couch surfing at 16, which likely was normalized for her even more so with her nomadic competitive cycling career. She had no “normal” to return to after her career. I imagine it was a struggle to adjust to daily routines and structures, especially if she didn't find something in her life that was fulfilling.

You know, like skiing is for most of us on this site.

 

[CalG]

Another factor with Rebecca Twigg is that her childhood was unstable, and she was out of the house and couch surfing at 16, which likely was normalized for her even more so with her nomadic competitive cycling career. She had no “normal” to return to after her career. I imagine it was a struggle to adjust to daily routines and structures, especially if she didn't find something in her life that was fulfilling.

You know, like skiing is for most of us on this site.

I sometimes "worry" that skiing will once again control me as it did when I was young.

I had to give it up, turn away to get away. I moved to Florida! It was that bad.

 

[CalG]

There is something relating to this woman's situation in the first 6 minutes of this talk. The remainder of the talk is of interest, but much less relative.

 

[Tricia]

Another factor with Rebecca Twigg is that her childhood was unstable, and she was out of the house and couch surfing at 16, which likely was normalized for her even more so with her nomadic competitive cycling career. She had no “normal” to return to after her career. I imagine it was a struggle to adjust to daily routines and structures, especially if she didn't find something in her life that was fulfilling.

You know, like skiing is for most of us on this site.

That is huge.
What is "normal"?

 

[CalG]

There is something relating to this woman's situation in the first 6 minutes of this talk. The remainder of the talk is of interest, but much less relative.

opps Forgot to attach the link