To be annoyed with the idolisation of Olympic athletes?

[Floogal]

Sick of this every 4 years. I am not against the Olympics per se. I like watching the judo, boxing, handball and volleyball. But these points explain why I find hero worship of athletes annoying.

1. People are very quick to moan about how footballers are overpaid for simply playing football. Or Connor McGregor being on benefits while training to be in the UFC. They are fair points, however Olympic atheltes paid a healthy income and have a lot of their expenses paid for.
2. Similar to the previous point, I hate the way they are lauded by the media and given honours for doing something that pays quite well and that they enjoy.
3. I remember last week we were watching ITV news. There was a feature about private sector carers being overworked and underpaid and how it impacts their personal lives. Later there was a documentary about Olympic athletes, many going on about sacrificing their leisure and family lives. Bit hard to feel sorry for them.
4. The government and media (as well as professional athletes) like to go on about how obese and unhealthy most people are. Well most people would love to only worry about excercise and nutrition, but SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK FOR A LIVING!
5. This point has been touched upon by the media and few recent MN threads. Many of the athletes come from affluent backgrounds!
6. The athletes featured on the Purple Bricks adverts come across as really unpleasant. Bit of a backfire.

What does everyone else think?

Many olympians are paid a pittance though... I thought that was one of the challenges of training, that it can be very difficult as an adult to fund being an athlete, especially in expensive sports. I read once about a parent of a medal-winning gymnast in the US (where there are lots of sponsorship deals and a lot of interest in gymnastics) still paying off debts from her olympic dream something like 20 years on.

A lot of the athletes have full time careers outside of their Olympic ambitions.

Your post is incredibly ignorant. While some receive good sponsorship deals and funding, the majority do not.

@Bigtoejoe

Many olympians are paid a pittance though... I thought that was one of the challenges of training, that it can be very difficult as an adult to fund being an athlete, especially in expensive sports. I read once about a parent of a medal-winning gymnast in the US (where there are lots of sponsorship deals and a lot of interest in gymnastics) still paying off debts from her olympic dream something like 20 years on.

Think in USA the athletes pretty much have to fund themselves.

girl on my team at work is in team GB!!

she works, and thats her hobby,which she is rather good at!!

yabu

Not many Olympians are well paid. Many rely on sponsorship, grants or outside careers. It's only the big ticket sports like tennis that have the big bucks.

A friend of mine was in the GB under 21s dressage team. She was good, but needed a better horse to get into the seniors and Olympic team. She couldn't afford that and wasn't high enough in the under 21s to get the funding.

Most of these Olympians are working very very very hard to get their medals. The Olympic is just one of the many competitions that they attend.

Doubt the vast majority receive a ‘healthy income’

YABVU

Completely different situation to footballers!!
Yabu

I think it’s impressive to be at the top of your field in a particular sporting event, and to train as hard as they do. I don’t think most people ‘idolise’ them as such, just respect their skill/perseverance.

I have 3 friends who are Olympians and work alongside many ex athletes (all through work so not random coincidence). They aren't paid handsomely at all, even the ones who got gold in 'big' events are now working in corporate jobs so it didn't set them up for life. I wouldn't say it's hero worship at all. It's interesting to some. I'm not sporty so don't pay attention but the drive and commitment it takes to get to the Olympics is very impressive.

Hi OP. One of my good friends has won Olympic gold twice, first at London then again in Rio. She was not well paid, many athletes get paid very little. Quite a few live off sponsorship and grants. Its not a lot of money and its such a fine line between having your funding cut or not. I also know one ex-GB hockey player. She was cut from the team unexpectedly and was out of a job overnight. I am an acquantance with one of the athletes at the games now, she had her funding cut because the govt decided to stop it. She maintained her training on top of a job in a coffee shop. Exhausting. I dont know any other job that would drop you as quickly for not performing.

The training is so intense. My friend would go to her place of training at 8am and stay until 4. She got sundays off. Theres a lot of travel to training camps and competitions. And she did this for 8 years. She missed countless weddings, christenings, funerals because of that. She delayed having kids because of it. One serious relationship ended. I dont know of any job that would demand that.

I couldn't give a shite about Olympians but they're easy enough to ignore. Some come from incredibly privileged backgrounds yes but I know one of the Irish Olympians (this year) personally and she's a very normal girl from a normal background. The hours she puts in trying to maintain a job and training/competitions is intense.

And Conor McGregor is a fucking gimp and embarrassment to my country.

Olympians are not professional (they can't be) and hence do not have hefty incomes.

Your post comes across as incredibly naive, and shows you know very little about high level sport.

YABU
Most athletes are amateur so unless sponsored they have to earn a living as well. They deserve to be lauded because they are motivated, dedicated and a great example to young people.
As for having to work and no time to do sport, well, you have time to post on Mumsnet, why not go out for a quick run instead?

I don't have time to do xyz = xyz isn't a priority for me.

Agree with you about people being given medals for their jobs. Ditto actors etc.

@Floogal do you feel the same way about the paralympics too??

Christ what a bitter post.
These are people that put their all into their passion. Most aren’t paid well at all.
Have a good look at yourself and your narrow mind before judging others.

The majority are not well paid, which renders your post somewhat void.

Most Olympic sports get very little attention outside of the four weeks every four years when the Olympic are taking place.

Personally, I’m more incredulous that they train so hard for such little tangible reward.

I think their hard work and dedication is worth idolising.

Also re adverts etc - like anything else, brands know that using Olympians during the Olympics is a good marketing opportunity and will drum up more attention for their product and potentially ‘cash in’ on the audiences who follow it. Politicians do the same thing to an extent!

YABVU , and the purple bricks adverts are scripted and they are supposed to come across like the woman is a bit of a stupid pain in the a**e .

You sound very bitter to be honest. As for how much care workers aren’t paid - look to the government for that. The state has a duty to look after vulnerable adults, the state has cut back local authority funding so that care workers wages are pushed down (many local authorities outsource care homes to the private sector).

Not sure how that’s the fault of Olympic athletes. You’re pointing your anger at the wrong place.

Ditto actors etc.

Most sectors have industry ‘awards’. It’s just that no one outside the industry gives a shit.

Yep, you are wrong- most Olympic competitors aren't paid well, or at all. Many are only getting their equipment and travel covered. They cant live off what they are given by being part of team GB.

So unlike footballers, all this work isn't for a career, its just about enjoying the sport. That is something a bit special. (And no, i don't begrudge them at all if after doing well they can get a career as a celebrity from their medal)