What about me? Exploring the lived experience of the partners of elite athletes in supporting athletes throughout their playing career and into retirement from sport

Elite sport requires commitment from the athletes which is often at the exclusion of outside interests and significant others in their lives. A major component of the success of the athlete is having a social support network behind the scenes. Little is known about the experiences of partners of elite athletes, therefore this study aimed to understand the impact of being the partner of an elite athlete throughout their sporting career and into retirement from sport. Narrative theory and composite vignettes were used to highlight the experiences of male and female partners of elite athletes. Whilst partners accepted the responsibility to support the elite athlete emotionally, physically, and financially there was an underlying perception of what about me? Sporting organisations need to do more to be inclusive of significant others as key persons in the support system of the athlete during their careers and, particularly in providing resources at the end of careers to help those who help support retiring athletes.