Apologies if this has been posted. Couldn’t find this with the search feature.
Anyway, Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe going to rehab. Something fishy with these fish?
Apologies if this has been posted. Couldn’t find this with the search feature. Anyway, Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe going to rehab. Something fishy with these fish?
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...i0cx12-1226837665482
There was a thread on Thorpe’s rehab a few weeks ago but this is the first I’ve heard of Hackett having problems too. As someone observed in the Thorpedo thread, these guys were rock stars in Aussie land during their peak years so it’s not surprising that, once they retire and aren’t in the limelight as much, they might fall harder than a regular guy.
Also, if your only real desire in life from a very early age was to swim in the oly games, and then you actually achieve that goal, three times actually, then after that you might wonder what the f#ck am I gonna do with the rest of my life??? I think this may well be one reason that Phelps is back in training.
As an Aussie, I dont think there is anything fishy with either.
Thorpe has had to endure rumours about his sexuality for many years, especially post swimming. Sad, but true
His come back stalled. I dont think he fully appreciated just how far swimming had progressed since his retirement.
Hackett was probably a bigger egomanic than any other Australian swimmer of his era. Not saying that is a bad thing as at that level Im sure any shred of self doubt relgates you to an also ran.
Went into sports media after swimming and that along with a failed marriage (all while under intense media scrutiny) would have made life very difficult for him.
Feel for both of them and it raise questions as to what kind of support these “kids” really need post swimming.
I think it also brings the focus on what support they had WHILE they were at the top. Agree that the transition away from the pinnacle of any sport must be tough but surely the die is cast far earlier when things are all going well? Thorpe was world swimmer of the year at 15 as I recall…not many of us have to deal with that.
As an Aussie, I dont think there is anything fishy with either.
Thorpe has had to endure rumours about his sexuality for many years, especially post swimming. Sad, but true
His come back stalled. I dont think he fully appreciated just how far swimming had progressed since his retirement.
Hackett was probably a bigger egomanic than any other Australian swimmer of his era. Not saying that is a bad thing as at that level Im sure any shred of self doubt relgates you to an also ran.
Went into sports media after swimming and that along with a failed marriage (all while under intense media scrutiny) would have made life very difficult for him.
Feel for both of them and it raise questions as to what kind of support these “kids” really need post swimming.
hmm. . . it’s almost as if there’s something slightly unhealthy about training 30 hours per week from the age of 10, to the exclusion of almost everything else.
-mike
hmm. . . it’s almost as if there’s something slightly unhealthy about training 30 hours per week from the age of 10, to the exclusion of almost everything else. - mike
Perhaps not healthy per se but personally, I’d certainly have been willing to give up my childhood for a shot at making the oly team. Unfortunately, no one identified me as a major talent and put me to work at age 10:)
I wouldn’t be surprised to see more Aussie swimmers be treated for substance abuse.
hmm. . . it’s almost as if there’s something slightly unhealthy about training 30 hours per week from the age of 10, to the exclusion of almost everything else. - mike
Perhaps not healthy per se but personally, I’d certainly have been willing to give up my childhood for a shot at making the oly team. Unfortunately, no one identified me as a major talent and put me to work at age 10:)
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been’
Maybe there is a blessing in being able to say proudly and certainly " I was not good enough."
Most people harbor a secret belief that they could have achieved greatness… “if only.”
Perhaps it is a blessing to be certain that “it could never have been.”
To have been “the Best” at something is a different problem. That kind of greatness not only implies that you were better than others, but that you were better than yourself as well. You will not be as good an attorney as you were a swimmer. Your will never have age adjusted P.R’s. Nothing you do will ever comes close to that level of greatness again.
This is difficult to accept at any age, but I imagine that it must be really difficult at 25.
It is no wonder there is an abundance of professional athletes that have problems adjusting to life “after.”
hmm. . . it’s almost as if there’s something slightly unhealthy about training 30 hours per week from the age of 10, to the exclusion of almost everything else. - mike
Perhaps not healthy per se but personally, I’d certainly have been willing to give up my childhood for a shot at making the oly team. Unfortunately, no one identified me as a major talent and put me to work at age 10:)
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been’
Maybe there is a blessing in being able to say proudly and certainly " I was not good enough."
Most people harbor a secret belief that they could have achieved greatness… “if only.”
Perhaps it is a blessing to be certain that “it could never have been.”
To have been “the Best” at something is a different problem. That kind of greatness not only implies that you were better than others, but that you were better than yourself as well. You will not be as good an attorney as you were a swimmer. Your will never have age adjusted P.R’s. Nothing you do will ever comes close to that level of greatness again.
This is difficult to accept at any age, but I imagine that it must be really difficult at 25.
It is no wonder there is an abundance of professional athletes that have problems adjusting to life “after.”
Oh I know with certainty that I was nowhere close to being good enough. My point was that no one ever thought I had any talent at all, and certainly not enough to start swimming twice a day at age 10, but if I had had that kind of talent, I certainly would’ve been willing to spend 4-5 hr/day swimming and training.
No intelligent person would have thought that I had that kind of talent either. Unfortunately, I was not an intelligent person. I did spend 7 or 8 years swimming 5 hrs/day (starting at age 11).
I agree with you it is worth trying.
You cannot rule something out until you fail. And as it turns out, the ability to fail and try again (maybe at something else) is an important skill.
No intelligent person would have thought that I had that kind of talent either. Unfortunately, I was not an intelligent person. I did spend 7 or 8 years swimming 5 hrs/day (starting at age 11).
I agree with you it is worth trying.
You cannot rule something out until you fail. And as it turns out, the ability to fail and try again (maybe at something else) is an important skill.
Definitely, and I’m still working on my swimming. Set a new PR today when I kicked 5000 yds, 25 x 200. I’m going to become a good kicker if it kills me:)
Apologies if this has been posted. Couldn’t find this with the search feature. Anyway, Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe going to rehab. Something fishy with these fish?
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...i0cx12-1226837665482
There was a thread on Thorpe’s rehab a few weeks ago but this is the first I’ve heard of Hackett having problems too. As someone observed in the Thorpedo thread, these guys were rock stars in Aussie land during their peak years so it’s not surprising that, once they retire and aren’t in the limelight as much, they might fall harder than a regular guy.
Also, if your only real desire in life from a very early age was to swim in the oly games, and then you actually achieve that goal, three times actually, then after that you might wonder what the f#ck am I gonna do with the rest of my life??? I think this may well be one reason that Phelps is back in training.
This is typical for most pro athletes. The SMART ones plan all along for the “after.” Sadly, most of them aren’t that smart. See: NFL, NBA, MLB…