Today is the first session in an imaginative programme run by the Irish Institute of Sport to help athletes returning from the highs of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to refocus on what life now holds for them.
The first three modules will focus on personal planning, determining where the athletes are now and where they want to go next either in sport aiming towards Rio 2016 or in the wider world.
These will be followed over the coming months by courses in life skills such as budgeting, pensions, personal branding and public speaking and three areas of performance transition covering the return to work or education after a break for intensive training, a career in sport or one outside of that arena.
The intensity and the highs of competing as part of a team can lead to a significant down for athletes who have likely achieved a lifetime goal at a very young age.  These courses help in adjusting to a quieter phase of life and letting them know that what they might be going through is not unique and that there are ways through which others have successfully navigated.
“Managing success after Beijing was a real challenge for me,” said Boxing silver medallist Kenneth Egan.  “I learned the hard way how to find my way through.”
“I am now working with the Institute to help make sure the right help, advice and guidance are there for athletes after London.
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