Top British cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins has recently announced his retirement from the sport following an illustrious career, which includes becoming the first British competitor to win the Tour de France in 2012. Few can blame him for embracing new challenges, especially given his achievements. It will be interesting to see what he does next. Bradley looks set to be competing in "The Jump" starting next month, he will be going head-to-head with Towie's Lydia Bright and Spencer Matthews from Made in Chelsea to see who's better at giant slalom. At stake, is the prestigious Cowbell Trophy.
Here's a look at some other British sports stars and what they went on to achieve...
David Beckham
David Beckham is possibly one of the most well-known British sports stars ever. He is also a brilliant example of someone who has transitioned smoothly from being a world-class footballer to becoming a fashion icon and charity ambassador. Beckham formally retired from football in May 2013, and since then he has continued his various charity endeavours and media ventures. Beckham has also received an OBE.
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe has had an incredibly successful career in running. She won the London Marathon in 2002, 2003 and 2005, and currently holds the world record. Radcliffe decided to end her career as a competitive runner following the 2015 London Marathon. However, she has continued to be involved in the sport, including stints as a commentator. She has also received an MBE for her contributions to the world of sport.
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff is a renowned cricketer and holds several world records, including becoming the third-highest English wicket-taker in One Day International (ODI) cricket. He was also part of the Ashes-winning England cricket team in 2005, for which he received an MBE. He retired from cricket on 16 September 2010. Following retirement, Flintoff has had a varied career, which includes becoming a professional boxer and being the team captain on the sports quiz show A League of Their Own.
Considering a career in Sports Psychology?
If you have found this blog post interesting and would like to learn more about the mindset and motivation of sports people, an Oxbridge distance learning course in Sports Psychology would certainly shed some light. A sports psychologist helps athletes overcome performance anxiety, improve their mental resilience, help them mentally prepare for a race or competition, and so much more. And don’t think this only applies to Olympic-level competitors – coaches, sports teams, and marathon runners all regularly employ the services of sports psychologists in a bid to improve their performance.
"...psychology is part of the building bricks to make a top athlete" - David James