Athletes on retirement: Part 1

Ever wondered how an athlete copes with the pain of retirement? Well, spikesmag.com spoke to a four athletes who hung up their spikes last year. In the first of a two-part series we caught up with British decathlete Dean Macey and his fellow Brit, middle-distance runner Jo Mersh.

Dean Macey
The British decathlete was a two-time World Championships medallist and is the reigning Commonwealth champion. After an injury bedeviled career he decided to hang up his spikes in July aged 30 after failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Was it difficult to cope without track and field?
DM: The first couple of months was difficult, my family struggled, I struggled. As stupid as it sounds it felt like I’d lost a member of my family. I was grieving for something that I’d lost. I felt really bad about myself but I was involved with lots of business meetings and I thought, "well, one door shuts another one opens". So I threw myself straight back into work of a different nature which kind of helped. I struggled for probably three months.

How are you at the moment?
DM: I’m alright now. I went up to Lee Valley to see a few of the old guys yesterday. I watched them do a little bit of bounding and sprints and, you know what? I don’t miss it any more. I don’t miss smashing myself to bits every day of the week. I’m glad of the rest.

What are you doing at the moment?
DM: After retirement up until Christmas I did a number of filming jobs, and I’ve just started filming for a new fishing programme. I went out to Italy for two weeks filming a bobsleigh documentary where myself Dan Luger, Jason Gardener and Craig McLean trained for two weeks and then took part in the British Bobsleigh Championships.

At the moment I’m just chilling. It’s been a hectic time because I’ve had to get through a lot of emotional things. I also plan to start my personal training qualification.

Was the bobsleigh a one-off?
DM: I’m hoping that the bobsleigh is not a one-off. It’s the maddest, baddest sport I’ve done. It suited me down to a tee. It was hard, fast, aggressive and rough.

What do you miss most about athletics?
DM: I miss the drilling I used to give myself and the satisfaction I used to get from that. I don’t miss the nerves, though. When I did the bobsleigh and we were going down a lump of ice at 75mph I got the nerves back and for nine days in a row I felt like I was at a major championships every single morning. It’s sad that I’m not getting that [feeling] again.

Jo Mersh (formerly Fenn)
The British middle-distance runner and former World Indoor 800m bronze medal winner announced her retirement in October after years of injury problems.

Was it tough decision to retire?
JM: I know Leon Taylor [the 2004 Olympic diving silver medallist] and he sent a message on Facebook in August/September time inviting his friends to his retirement party. I had the thought of retirement hanging over me for the last year and after reading this I just thought, "I can’t mentally do this anymore". It wasn’t the fact I didn’t want to race I just didn’t want to go through another re-hab. I’d had seven operations in my career and to be on the sidelines just wasn’t appealing anymore. I sent an email to Leon and cried.

How have you coped with retirement?
JM: It is almost like I have served a long-term prison sentence and I’ve had to adapt to civilian life. It is like, "what do I do now?" For years I have had a coach translate what he wants me to do and I had a structure to training every day. Now I have all this time on my hands to watch daytime TV.

What are you doing at the moment?
JM: I am working for the media and communications department at UK Athletics, so I am totally thrilled. I am also involved in team/coaching management. It’s what I’ve wanted to do, so it feels like I have got the perfect jobs. It almost feels like I have been selected again to represent my country.

I’ve also got a background in music and we’ve got a four-piece band together called This Way Up. It is nice to enjoy my singing and know I don’t have to get up for a training sessions after having a late night.

Do you still keep fit today?
JM: I’m thinking of taking up triathlon. I spent so much time cross training when I was injured either on the bike or in the pool [it makes sense]. I still want to enjoy sport but not for sport to determine what mood I’m in. I was getting depressed and withdrawn because I couldn’t do what I love to do. I would like to do a couple of triathlons for fun.

Do you miss athletics?
JM: The Olympics was the hardest part. I had friends who didn’t make the Olympic team and when we met up for a coffee we were just miserable people. But I think I’ve accepted it and I’m definitely over it now. I’ve got so many people around me who love me and I love just having an emphasis that I can switch to my singing to inspire me.

***Read our second and final part of our series at spikesmag.com tomorrow on how athletes cope with retirement.