Great insights. This is definitely something I've wondered for myself when I first started lifting and then eventually running. I've ultimately landed on "athlete" if only because I feel like it's such a relative concept. It's why races are broken down into age brackets and somesuch. At the end of the day, you can really only compare yourself to yourself. Genetics and socioeconomic factors play such huge roles in who becomes a "successful athlete" but not who is an athlete. (e.g. I will never be Michael Phelps because I do not have Michael Phelps' demi-god genetics and parents willing to pay for an award-winning swimming coach).
Also, not to trash Dr. Claudio Araujo, whose background and knowledge no doubt far outstrips mine to an eye watering degree, but I think that definition of athlete might be too narrow. Being healthy seems inextricable with performing well and longevity in your sport (yes, even with doping scandals!!)
Anyway, I too am upset that it works to Trust the Process™. It's lovely to find joy in endlessly pushing this boulder up the hill though.
It's complicated! I want other people to view me as an athlete, but I am very scared to view myself as one still! And so, please imagine me happy as a make like Sisyphus and keep pushing this boulder while I work through it all.
And okay, YES - so, their point is that from a medical research perspective, the definition needs to be as specific as possible to clinically relevant (their definition actually gets way narrower in the article). While it seems like being an athlete should make you Healthy™ (loaded, shockingly hard term to actually define), it's usually the exercise component of sports that does that, not the competition itself, which leads to detrimental outcomes in some cases. They say that "exercisers" are a far more important group to focus on for research. But, I don't think that the definition needs to be so narrow outside of this context - though, it was really helpful for me to see a distinction between a focus on performance and a focus on health as a I navigated through why I feel so prickly when people ask if I'm an athlete.
It happened during COVID! I felt exactly like you, much more of an exerciser than an athlete. But then one day, I was chatting with a fellow runner friend (who, coincidentally enough, also has chronic illness by way of lupus). She was talking about people who want to go back to gyms to run without masks were "disrespecting our sport." And I was like, "Huh, I'm doing a sport. Like an athlete." It completely flipped my perspective of myself as "band nerd / unathletic dude." I dunno, it's silly but it made me realize or at least feel like I was in this great lineage of athletes actively participating in the sport of running instead of passively soaking it in.
You are so great!
Gabs! Thanks for being one of my biggest cheerleaders this season!
Great insights. This is definitely something I've wondered for myself when I first started lifting and then eventually running. I've ultimately landed on "athlete" if only because I feel like it's such a relative concept. It's why races are broken down into age brackets and somesuch. At the end of the day, you can really only compare yourself to yourself. Genetics and socioeconomic factors play such huge roles in who becomes a "successful athlete" but not who is an athlete. (e.g. I will never be Michael Phelps because I do not have Michael Phelps' demi-god genetics and parents willing to pay for an award-winning swimming coach).
Also, not to trash Dr. Claudio Araujo, whose background and knowledge no doubt far outstrips mine to an eye watering degree, but I think that definition of athlete might be too narrow. Being healthy seems inextricable with performing well and longevity in your sport (yes, even with doping scandals!!)
Anyway, I too am upset that it works to Trust the Process™. It's lovely to find joy in endlessly pushing this boulder up the hill though.
It's complicated! I want other people to view me as an athlete, but I am very scared to view myself as one still! And so, please imagine me happy as a make like Sisyphus and keep pushing this boulder while I work through it all.
And okay, YES - so, their point is that from a medical research perspective, the definition needs to be as specific as possible to clinically relevant (their definition actually gets way narrower in the article). While it seems like being an athlete should make you Healthy™ (loaded, shockingly hard term to actually define), it's usually the exercise component of sports that does that, not the competition itself, which leads to detrimental outcomes in some cases. They say that "exercisers" are a far more important group to focus on for research. But, I don't think that the definition needs to be so narrow outside of this context - though, it was really helpful for me to see a distinction between a focus on performance and a focus on health as a I navigated through why I feel so prickly when people ask if I'm an athlete.
How long did it take for you to feel comfortable calling yourself an athlete?
It happened during COVID! I felt exactly like you, much more of an exerciser than an athlete. But then one day, I was chatting with a fellow runner friend (who, coincidentally enough, also has chronic illness by way of lupus). She was talking about people who want to go back to gyms to run without masks were "disrespecting our sport." And I was like, "Huh, I'm doing a sport. Like an athlete." It completely flipped my perspective of myself as "band nerd / unathletic dude." I dunno, it's silly but it made me realize or at least feel like I was in this great lineage of athletes actively participating in the sport of running instead of passively soaking it in.