Lewis HowesYour Personal 24/7 Greatness Coach

Why Athletes Get Post Olympic Depression

24 Feb 2026 · 0 min

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Lewis Howes explains why athletes struggle after the Olympics end. When you've trained for years toward one goal, winning it can leave you empty. He argues that chasing results instead of purpose sets you up for depression once the medal is gone.

All these Olympic medalists who've won the gold after 25 years of searching for this goal, either committed, they've gone through depression, ruined their lives within a year after the Olympics being over, because the pressure of success, thinking, this is going to solve all my problems, it's not. And if people knew this, they wouldn't be needing to perform. They'd be focused on purpose because they love the process, not because they need the result to make them feel happy.