The Normal World - Podcast about retired elite athletes and the normal world

Ever since I quit my elite gymnastics career I struggled to transition into the normal world. I almost want to say that the years after I quit my elite career might even be harder than the ones during my gymnastics career. By creating this platform I hope that I can help other, soon-to-be ex elite athletes, or athletes that have already retired. I hope by sharing my story and help others share their stories will help you along the way.

I want to create something I wished was there when I quit my Elite Career to help others
Annaleid Bakker

This podcast is what I wish was there when I quit elite gymnastics and entered the normal world. In my experience listening to other stories from peers helped me so much to recognize I wasn’t alone in this battle. And maybe you aren’t an ex-elite athlete, but just someone interested in the world of elite athletes. That’s also fine, this podcast is for everyone!

The Podcast – The Normal World

The normal world is a podcast where I interview an ex-elite athlete every month about their struggles transitioning into the normal world. We are not going to talk only about elite gymnastics, but a variety of different sports. Why did they quit? Which struggles did they face? And what advice would they give their younger selves right now? Curious? You can listen to it on Spotify or iTunes. Or in the player down below!

Ep. 29 The Normal World of Dias Gnanapragasam (Dutch) – The Normal World

In this Dutch episode of The Normal World, host Annaleid Bakker interviews Dias Gnanapragasam about his elite judo career.Dias shares how he discovered his passion for the sport and found out very quickly that he had a talent for judo. He talks about the challenges he faced during his judo career, eventually leading to a loss of joy in the sport. He spoke about choosing for himself when quitting his elite career and how he, after many years, finally feels like he can put it all behind him.This episode explores his journey towards the normal world and redefining his identity beyond life as an elite athlete.If you're interested in Dream Life Designers (Annaleid's life coaching program), send her a DM on Instagram: @actuallyannaxoBy sharing her story in this podcast, Annaleid hopes to support other (former) elite athletes or those approaching retirement. She also sees this podcast as a personal healing journey — a way to create something she wishes had existed when she left her elite career behind. Enjoy listening!Want to tell your story in this podcast? Send an email to podcast@actuallyanna.com with "Podcast" in the subject.————————Music used in the intro and outro of this podcast is We Are Free by Iksonhttps://www.iksonmusic.comThe Normal World – Podcast © 2021 by Annaleid Bakker is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Share your story on The Normal World

If you want me to interview you in my monthly podcast and help share your story about your transition period to the normal world? Send an email to podcast@actuallyanna.com and mention podcast in the subject.

Other services

Through my experiences as a former elite athlete and my experiences with mental health afterwards, I can definitely call myself a peer mentor or peer supporter. I’m always willing to speak at an event about my own experiences, the importance of talking about this subject or another related subject. Since I also have a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a master’s degree in Sports Science it can also be regarding those subjects. I’m also open to write an article or be a guest in a podcast or youtube channel. And if you want a peer mentor to talk to and understand what you’re going through, I’m also open to requests in that area!

Send an email to podcast@actuallyanna.com and mention podcast in the subject.

Need help?

Throughout these interviews and my own research, I found some programs that might be able to help find your way into the normal world. If you have any suggestions or you know other programs that help ex elite athletes, let me know!

Sporttop.nl – Dutch institute that helps ex-elite athletes with or without an elite status.

Team NL @ work – NOC NSF program for ex-elite athletes that were part of a national team with a status.