Life after the Olympics
"An entire way of life was gone — all at once." That’s how swimming gold medalist Donna de Varona describes her retirement after the 1964 Olympics.
She’s not alone. We talked to eight Olympians, all of whom struggled when they came home from the games. Some wrestled with health problems and financial woes. Some faced public anger or disdain for their politics. Some confronted anxiety, depression, and self-doubt.
But these are not stories of defeat — they are ultimately about renewal and reinvention. Click on the links below to read these athletes' stories in full.
John Carlos
Track and field, bronze medal
Mexico City, 1968
"If you're famous and you're black, you have to be an activist." Read More
Jennie Finch
Softball, gold and silver medals
Athens, 2004
Beijing, 2008
"To this day, every time I bring out the silver medal, it still stings." Read More
Jim Ryun
Track and field, silver medal
Tokyo, 1964
Mexico City, 1968
Munich, 1972
"I was disappointed and angry. Angry at the officials as well as at myself. But my wife and I made a promise to each other: We didn’t want our lives to end there." Read More
Natasha Kai
Soccer, gold medal
Beijing, 2008
"Your place on the national team is always precarious; it's like every day is a new tryout." Read More
Greg Louganis
Diving, four gold medals, one silver
Montreal, 1978
Los Angeles, 1984
Seoul, 1988
"Knowing that my story has affected others, even in a minuscule way, keeps me passionate." Read More
Maritza McClendon
Swimming, silver medal
Athens, 2004
"Waving an Olympic medal in front of the human resources receptionist doesn’t mean you can skip over the experience section on job applications." Read More
Nick Delpopolo
Judo
London, 2012
Rio de Janeiro, 2016
"The International Olympic Committee discovered that I tested positive for marijuana. How could I let this happen?" Read More
Donna de Varona
Swimming, two gold medals
Rome, 1960
Tokyo, 1964
"Back then, only male athletes were offered sports scholarships." Read More