Former college basketball star Canyon Barry is a Team USA athlete preparing for the Olympics while also working a 9-to-5 job. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in nuclear engineering, and he gives high-level work presentations even in the middle of the night from Mongolia. Barry’s strict daily regimen includes weight training, yoga, work at L3Harris Technologies, and basketball training after work. Despite the challenges of balancing work and training, Barry credits his college athletic experience for teaching him time-management skills.
A sports psychologist, Mark Aoyagi, acknowledges the difficulties elite working athletes face compared to those being financially supported by their governments. Many unknown American athletes, like fencer Kat Holmes and sprint canoe gold medalist Nevin Harrison, juggle full-time jobs with their training. These athletes must excel at compartmentalization to separate their work and athletic responsibilities.
Aoyagi emphasizes the importance of working through emotional and mental stress to avoid negative impacts on performance. He stresses the need for athletes to process and address issues that arise in their work lives. Athletes like Holmes find success through classic time management tools like writing down due dates, while others, like Gabby Thomas and Elle Geddes, work in healthcare and horse breeding alongside their Olympic pursuits. Overall, Aoyagi underscores the inherent challenges faced by athletes who must manage both their professional and athletic lives to succeed on the world stage.
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