ELITE athletes are taught these days how to remain resilient and determined in the face of disappointment. But how to deal with overwhelming success? That’s almost a tougher conundrum to conjure with.
Stephen Clegg is still trying to figure it all out. The para-swimmer has known plenty of adversity throughout his life, both in and out of the pool, and worked with psychologists and mental strength gurus to ensured he bounced back from every setback. When performances weren’t quite at the level he had hoped for and he wasn’t standing on the top step of the podium, the support network around him prevented his spirits from sagging.
This time, though, the existential angst is predicated on an entirely different outcome. Frankly, the Paris Paralympics couldn’t have gone much better for Clegg as he upgraded his S12 100m butterfly silver from Tokyo to gold after also winning the S12 100m backstroke. After a decade of competing and eternally striving for excellence, the 28-year-old had finaly scaled his own personal Everest. But when you’ve achieved everything you wanted from a career, where do you go next?
“I spent years chasing one thing and never for once considered for even a minute what it would be like to actually get it,” admits Clegg with welcome honesty. “It was a very unusual feeling. I just got hit with this lack of direction and uncertainty about what to do next. That was quite challenging at first.
“I’m certainly enjoying not having any pressure on myself just now to train or perform. I’ve definitely got another four-year cycle in me but I’m not rushing into that life. I’ve not really swam since Paris at all which has been nice.
“But I’ve had discussions with my coach and psychologist about the way forward after some downtime and a chance for a bit of self-reflection. And it became quite straightforward. I asked myself a few simple questions. Do you still love the sport? Yes. Are you getting better? Yes. Do you think you can get better in four years’ time? And the answer was ‘yes’ again.
“That summed up everything that I needed about whether I wanted to continue and what I wanted to get out of the rest of my sporting career. I think I would deeply regret stopping now and then in 10 years’ time feeling that I could still have got better.
“If I look at my journey through sport I’m glad it’s been this way. I don’t think the appreciation I have for these medals would have been the same had they come quickly and without a struggle. I’ve had plenty of downfalls, and finding the right people to help get me over the humps in my career makes it really special when you get to share it with them as well.”
Life post-Paris has been good. The Edinburgh-based swimmer has been enjoying himself, taking in events that he wouldn’t ordinarily attend or have the time for.
“I’ve been busy outside of the pool with different bits and bobs,” he adds. “There’s been a few award evenings and publicity bits here and there. It’s definitely not what I’m used to or what I’m comfortable with. But it’s a been a nice change for me and a challenge just to push my social barriers a bit more than I’m used to.”
Clegg appreciates this is also the perfect time to do something for others. The visually-impaired swimmer, the brother of fellow Paralympians Libby and James, wants to use his platform and success to provide more support and guidance to athletes with disabilities to hopefully make their path to the podium a smoother one.
“For me the future is not just about my times in the pool it’s about the legacy I want to leave for others,” he adds. “I want to use my platform and achievements to create more opportunities in sport for people with visual impairments or, more widely, people with disabilities. That’s a social project I want to pursue over the next few years and beyond.”
And what might that look like? A pause and a laugh. “I’m at the starting points of a project. But it’s not at a stage where I’m able to divulge too much. But in the next year that should become more public once I’ve got a better idea of who I want to get involved with.”
Clegg is also grateful to the University of Edinburgh for their ongoing support. Although not a student – “I’m not sure how my team-mates manage to balance studying and sport” – he is an integral part of the university’s performance swimming programme. He will get the chance to explain more at a panel discussion there tonight alongside others who have benefited from the university’s facilities, coaches and goodwill.
“I’m very fortunate that the university has been so generous with me,” he adds. “The amount of support I get from them is incredible. The quality of their staff is on the same level as our national programmes. I certainly wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had if I didn’t have that support team around me.”
Stephen Clegg was speaking to promote The University of Edinburgh Celebration of Sport event which takes place at The Playfair Library this evening. For more information on University of Edinburgh Sport visit www.uoesport.ed.ac.uk
