E23 - Debbie Flood: The unexpected pain of retirement

Welcome to the final episode of the Retirement Question - series four of The Christians in Sport Podcast. The finale sees Danno chatting to former rower Debbie Bruwer (née Flood), whose 15-year international career included two Olympic silver medals and three World titles. 

As she prepared to hang up her oars after competing in her home Olympics, Debbie expected the transition to life after rowing to be a smooth process. But she tells Danno: “Before London 2012, I had already decided that, whatever the result, the next season of life was going to look different. It wasn’t going to be rowing full-time. I was going to do all the things that I wouldn’t normally be able to do as a full-time athlete….After the Games, I had a wobble because I thought ‘do I want to end on that [disappointing] result?’.”

Like all the former athletes we’ve featured in this series, retirement was far from a smooth process for Debbie. Listen in as she talks about:

How retirement was harder than she expected (0mins 40secs)

Being unsettled after experiencing disappointment at London 2012 (1.40)

Feeling like her life had been “chucked up into the air” (2.10)

Struggling without having a fixed routine (3.15)

Knowing her identity was secure in Jesus (7.00)

Trusting God with her future (8.40)

Missing the banter of being in a team (10.50)

Her advice for retiring athletes (12.20)

Being thankful for your sporting career (13.20)

And much more...