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?

There’s a meme for everything…

@PRsecrets

And many athletes come from affluent backgrounds for the same reasons many actors do. For the majority of people, you cannot maintain the level of delusion required to reach Olympic sporting success/ hollywood acting success, while also in poverty. So unless bank of mummy and daddy support them, many talented athletes have to realise their dreams won't come true because they don't have the financial backing necessary.

What a load of rubbish

They are funded but they don't get a big salary from them?

Olympic level funding is around 30k so roughly average wage. Competitions, kit physio etc are usually paid for.

Not a huge amount for the work and time they put in, but means they don’t have to work to fund themselves.

Not a lot for an adult, but quite a chunk for a 16 year old.

And many athletes come from affluent backgrounds for the same reasons many actors do. For the majority of people, you cannot maintain the level of delusion required to reach Olympic sporting success/ hollywood acting success, while also in poverty. So unless bank of mummy and daddy support them, many talented athletes have to realise their dreams won't come true because they don't have the financial backing necessary

What a load of rubbish

It isn’t. We aren’t massive income and I recently worked out in a normal year it costs around 10k to keep my (non funded) son competing at GB/international but not quite olympic level.

We have made significant sacrifices to do this- but some don’t have that choice.

@Reallyreallyborednow

They are funded but they don't get a big salary from them?

Olympic level funding is around 30k so roughly average wage. Competitions, kit physio etc are usually paid for.

Not a huge amount for the work and time they put in, but means they don’t have to work to fund themselves.

Not a lot for an adult, but quite a chunk for a 16 year old.

16 year old UK athletes do not earn 30k pa?

Band A is up to 28k and that's for Olympic medallists

Podium potential can earn up to 15k

Misery.

You have no idea about the lives of the majority of Olympic athletes do you? Unless they're Jessica Ennis or Usain Bolt, most Olympic athletes work full time or at least part time to afford to eat while not competing in world championships

Most Olympic athletes and potential olympic athletes are lottery funded. They don’t work full time. That is the whole point of lottery and sportsaid funding.

Poverty is a disadvantage in all areas of life. If you want to take that approach then we shouldn't celebrate any achievements of citizens of wealthy countries because they are so much more advantaged than those from 3/4 of the world.

I am notsporty bit i absolutely admire these amazing humans...that's why they are olympians. Key workers are also amazing.

I absolutely love the Olympics and I completely disagree with pretty much every word of your miserable post.

Hth

@PRsecrets

What a load of rubbish

How so? There are many sports that are very expensive so have a natural barrier to entry. Rowing, tennis, Sailing, Equestrian, Polo, Rhythmic gymnastics, pentathlon, ski jumping. Other sports are very difficult to do around jobs because of the location of the training centres. Team GB athletes are 4 times more likely to be privately educated than the general public - for obvious reasons.

I am not disputing thst some sports have financial barriers but plenty don't

Three swimmers I know were at private school - Millfield, they didn't pay a penny in fees.

Please don’t include Conor McGregor in a discussion about Olympians. He is an utter thug.

Irish woman through to the swimming finals went to a regular school and trained in her local community pool until last year.

My favourite Olympian is Ussain Bolt ...he should a gold medal for sheer personality!

I think you are being unfair TBH. Many do come from privileged backgrounds its true .However many dont and I remember many moons ago , Hurdler Sally Gunnell( of a similar age to me )saying she had to work in a fish and chip shop! These athletes are the creme de la creme .The best in the whole world. Adam Peatys Mum had to do early mornings to take him to training ,then work in a Nursery FFS! Many are WC ,and have supportive families who help practically if they can ,but still need to earn a living to eat!

Droopy Clematis .We have a world sporting event every 4 years .This includes most world countries ,and their very best sportspeople .Should we not honour them for representing our little Island when they win ? Or should we continue to award them to that very nice lollipop man/lady ,who while very worthy ,is hardly taking the world by storm! Or worse to "Actors /Actresses" who hardly need the kudos!

Wow. This is one of the most ignorant, mean-spirited and ill-informed posts I’ve seen on here. And this is MN, so that’s a pretty high bar…!

Digestive28 I can barely swim! However Dad was a prolific swimmer who taught himself to swim in canals as a child ,and later saved someones life while in the Army.I adore watching Adam Peaty and his man mountain move through the water like a giant shark! Tom Daley and his amazing skills on the Diving board, and all those open water swimmers/Triathletes .Dad is no longer with us sadly ,but I feel close to him watching these guys and know he would be in awe of them all!

I think they do deserve the accolades because their success attracts interest and sponsorship, which creates funding at grassroots. Having clubs for young children to go to generates the athletes of the future.

Sport matters as much as art and music for joy and inspiration as far as I am concerned. It's really quite narrow minded to think only jobs like caring are worthwhile. There's an awful lot of weird snobbery around sport as entertainment. What a shame for those people who can't take pleasure in someone else's triumph.

Or worse to "Actors /Actresses" who hardly need the kudos!

Let’s be honest though, a lot of peoples lives would be duller and monotonous without contributions to the world from actors and other arts. I don’t think something has to be vitreous to have value. Human existence has the capability to be a vibrant experience, I think personally it’s a shame not to embrace that in amongst the crappier bits.

Love actors and sportspeople.
Happy for them both to get awards. Watching sport and films are two of my favourite things to do.

Cornettoninja Sorry it was badly phrased by me .Of course many Actors/Actresses have brought a great deal of joy to us and need to be rewarded .Its just that sometimes seems to be the same posse who get the attention over and over again .Also they are well rewarded in their chosen profession as well!