Who knew that Meryl Davis was an excellent writer.

[Nikki Lee]

https://www.self.com/story/meryl-davis-finding-new-purpose-after-life-as-an-olympian


warmly,
Nikkiu

 

[BaileyCatts]

Wow. That kinda made me cry.

 

[AxelAnnie]

OK....that was fabulous.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I really admire Meryl. She is an incredibly articulate speaker. I remember a speech I saw where she spoke about her dyslexia. She has obviously worked very hard to achieve what she has.

There is also the issue of top athletes and how the deal with not competing any more. I think there was a thread a while ago that discussed this. It is good to hear athletes being open and honest about this.

 

[kittyjake5]

Thank you Meryl for sharing your personal story about your struggles after retirement from competition. Choked me up.

 

[once_upon]

Wow, powerful.

 

[aftershocks]

https://www.self.com/story/meryl-davis-finding-new-purpose-after-life-as-an-olympian


warmly,
Nikkiu

Thanks so much for sharing Meryl's thoughtful, articulate self-reflections. I'm sure many athletes have faced this 'end of competitive days' angst. Writing can be so illuminating and a great way to excavate the pain and emptiness of loss. How wonderful that Meryl is a beautiful writer, in addition to being a beautiful skater and an extraordinary human being.

I wonder if a true professional skating tour existed, whether some of the feeling of emptiness and the transitional difficulties post an eligible career, might be somewhat lessened for veteran skaters? I haven't read the entire article yet. I will come back to it later.

I would imagine that Meryl's work with launching Detroit's figure skating outreach program for inner-city girls, as well as her success on DWTS might have provided a focus and purpose in the immediate aftermath of the Olympics. Charlie has married and started a family, so his competition loss pangs might be slightly different than Meryl's. But surely, Meryl's words resonate with many skaters, and as well with everyone who experiences certain kinds of loss and transitional challenges after a demanding goal-oriented phase of life is suddenly over.

Meryl wrote: "I realize, I hadn’t prepared for the 'after.'" I doubt there is any way to prepare ...

 

[Habs]

That was wonderful and so articulate.

 

[jeffisjeff]

The gentle breeze of my ceiling fan has wisps of my dark hair dancing back and forth across the left side of my face.

 

[Kasey]

It doesn't surprise me that she's such an amazing writer; I think that lady can be hugely successful in anything she puts her mind to. Hearing about her struggles sounds familiar, things similar to what I have heard from "retired" folks from other professions, with the post-retirement let down and seeking of purpose again. It's good to hear at the end that she has come through it and appears to be in a much happier and more hopeful place.

 

[Garden Kitty]

Sasha Cohen has written some touching columns about the difficulty of transitioning to the next stage and I think it was great that Meryl was also able to open up about the challenges. I'm always happy when the athletes I've followed and liked for years are able to find a "next stage" that continues to ignite their passion. I'm sure it can't be easy to transition away from something that has been such an integral part of your identity and life.

 

[overedge]

Her Ted talk about managing her dyslexia is also very articulate and thoughtful. The dyslexia didn't just affect her schoolwork - it also affected her ability to learn programs (which is particularly critical in ice dance because of the compulsory dances).
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...DRUQtwIICzAA&usg=AOvVaw1RkB1vFNoTCCWOz_8tKvc1

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

It makes me sad that there is no longer a substantial professional circuit, or indeed, that Davis & White could capitalise on their success and headline tours in the same way as Torvill & Dean.

 

[AYS]

She's such an amazing woman and this is a great piece of writing.

I'm usually not one of those people who go for "inspirational" quotes and whatnot on social media, but for some reason hers are truly inspiring to me; my day is often just a little better for coming across them.

Same with Lin-Manuel Miranda's by the way. In case anyone is interested.

 

[skatfan]

I really admire Meryl. She is an incredibly articulate speaker. I remember a speech I saw where she spoke about her dyslexia. She has obviously worked very hard to achieve what she has.

There is also the issue of top athletes and how the deal with not competing any more. I think there was a thread a while ago that discussed this. It is good to hear athletes being open and honest about this.

I remember feeling this way after graduate school -- so focused on the degree that I really hadn't planned for what was next (fortunately got a job by September!).

 

[Aussie Willy]

Her Ted talk about managing her dyslexia is also very articulate and thoughtful. The dyslexia didn't just affect her schoolwork - it also affected her ability to learn programs (which is particularly critical in ice dance because of the compulsory dances).
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VsY3LWgsaUo&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwi2w-34tLDbAhUCKH0KHeFDDRUQtwIICzAA&usg=AOvVaw1RkB1vFNoTCCWOz_8tKvc1

I think I saw that too. It was amazing and fascinating to hear her talk. From what I remember Charlie and the coaching team really had to break things down for her. I think that is why their partnership was so strong.

 

[sk9tingfan]

As far back as 2010, when the subject of Meryl came up, my reply was, "That girl is a force". Now I can reiterate, that woman is a force.