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s repository of research publications and other research outputs Sink or swim: adversity- and growth-related experiences in Olympic swimming champions Journal Item How to cite: Howells, Karen and Fletcher, David (2015).

Sink or swim: adversity- and growth-related experiences in Olympic swimming champions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16(3) pp. 37C48. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c

2014 Elsevier Ltd. Version: Accepted Manuscript Link(s) to article on publisher'

s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.08.004 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online'

s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Running head: ADVERSITY AND GROWTH IN OLYMPIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

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4 5 Sink or Swim: Adversity- and Growth-Related

6 Experiences in Olympic Swimming Champions

7 Karen Howells and David Fletcher

8 Loughborough University, United Kingdom

9 10

11 12

13 14

15 16 Author Note

17 18 Karen Howells and David Fletcher, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences,

19 Loughborough University, United Kingdom.

20 We acknowledge Brett Smith for suggesting readings useful for analyzing the data.

21 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Karen Howells, School of

22 Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough,

23 Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom. Voice: 4415-0922-8450. E-mail:

24 [email protected]

25 26 ADVERSITY AND GROWTH IN OLYMPIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

2 Abstract

27 Objective: To explore the adversity- and growth-related experiences of swimmers at the highest

28 competitive level. Of particular interest was the transitional process that the swimmers progress

29 through to positively transform their experiences.

30 Design and method: Eight autobiographies of Olympic swimming champions were sampled and

31 analyzed. The books were written by four male and three female swimmers whose ages at the

32 time of their Olympic swims ranged from 14-41 years (M = 23.39, SD = 6.04). Informed by a

33 narrative tradition, the autobiographies were subjected to a holistic analysis which involved

34 scrutinizing the form of the structure and style of the narrative, and the content relating to the

35 events and meanings described by the authors.

36 Results and conclusion: The swimmers perceived their adversity-related experiences to be

37 traumatic and initially attempted to negotiate them by maintaining a state of normality through

38 the development of an emotional and embodied relationship with water. This relationship

39 involved the non-disclosure of traumatic adversities and the development of multiple identities.

40 As these strategies eventually proved to be maladaptive and exposed the swimmers to further

41 adversity, the dialogue of the autobiographies typically shifted to a more quest-focused narrative

42 with the swimmers seeking meaning in their experiences and looking to others for support.

43 Adoption of these strategies was necessary for the swimmers to experience growth, which was

44 identifiable through superior performance, enhanced relationships, spiritual awareness, and

45 prosocial behavior. The findings provide broad support for theories of posttraumatic growth and

46 suggest that assimilation processes may comprise initial phases of the transition between