Olympic Personalities
- August 30, 2024
- General
By John M Oldham MD
Recently, many of us were consumed with “Olympic fever,” as we watched the amazing feats of elite athletes in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The triumphs of the winners, and the heartbreaks of those who almost made it, were riveting to watch in real time. But who are these sports superheros? What are they made of? Much has been written about the personalities of those who make the short list, using terms like mental toughness, resiliency, competitiveness, hard-working, optimistic, and even perfectionistic. Other terms may not sound so laudable: driven, compulsive, addictive, fear of failure. And a recent report from the UK suggests that traits like being self-centered, ruthless, and manipulative can “help elite athletes achieve glory” (https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2024/06/malevolent-traits-can-be-important-for-athletic-success-but-could-hinder-athlete-coach-relationships). Such characteristics, however, are not inevitable and tarnish the youthful, bright talent we like to see in these superstars. There can be, however, “dark sides” to the world of the Olympic athlete. In a recent HBO documentary entitled “The Weight of Gold,” narrator Michael Phelps describes the grueling all-consuming nature of years of training, and the disorienting emptiness of the athlete’s world once the show is over. We hide our pain, he says, and we don’t think anyone cares to help us, as long as we’re performing. The documentary focuses on post-Olympic depression, a far more common phenomenon than is generally recognized. Usually, but not always, the hardened toughness and resilience of these athletes kick in to get them to seek help and get back on their feet.
In the language of npsp25, the personality styles most likely to characterize the Olympic athlete would include a mix of Self-Confident, Conscientious, Serious, and Aggressive, with perhaps a blend of the Adventurous, Dramatic and Vigilant styles. Plus, of course, a lot of inherent athletic talent!
