Athletic Identity: An Achilles' Heel to the Survival of Self

Abstract

To illuminate the complex ways in which a strong athletic identity can act as an Achilles' heel in coming to terms with a disruptive life event, this article presents biographical data of one elite athlete whose career was prematurely terminated by illness. The analysis reveals how, as an individual descends from the heights of the extraordinary into the mundane world of ordinariness, the loss of certain selves enforces a heightened reflexivity and awareness of previously taken-for-granted aspects of the body-self relationship that are no longer attainable. The manner in which certain selves at the apex of an identity hierarchy exert pressure on the individual to seek a restored self rather than opt for more attainable or realistic identities is highlighted. The problems of restorying the self when an individual is constrained by limited narrative resources are also considered. Finally, some implications of the findings for health care professionals are discussed.