Do some athletes need to be saved…from themselves?
This past weekend legendary USA skier Lindsey Vonn experienced an unfortunate accident, essentially ending her competitive skiing career. Vonn competed having just recently torn her ACL, an admirable — yet questionable — decision in hindsight. While millions of Americans cheered on Vonn to do the impossible, others wondered if this was a safe decision? Logically, the answer is ‘no,’ but athletes — especially elite athletes — don’t always think rationally. Why do some athletes avoid all warning signs and instead choose to compete, regardless of the cost? Sport psychology studies help us better understand this unique phenomena, and the deeper factors that leave some athletes vulnerable to questionable (and potentially dangerous) decisions.
The mental makeup of athletes
Robert Weinberg, in his text Foundations of Sport & Exercise Psychology, found that high-level athletes may accept significantly greater physical risk than non-athletes because the psychological rewards of winning or performing at a peak can outweigh the perceived cost of injury — even severe injury or death. Factors associated with risk level acceptance include:
The more an athlete’s identity and self-esteem are tied to performance outcomes,
The more likely they are to “normalize” severe risk,
And the more likely they are to override pain, injury cues, and danger signals in pursuit of winning.
One survey in particular asked: Would you accept a serious injury (or even death) if it meant achieving your competitive dream?
When examining the results from the survey, a non-trivial percentage of elite competitors (higher than the general population) responded that they would accept serious injury/death — not because they want to die, but because the psychological value of achievement outweighs avoidance of risk in their internal hierarchy. Drilling deeper, an athlete’s motivation interacts with perceived risk, and the greater the athletic identity, the more willing an athlete will be to endure danger. The idea is that the same drive that pushes someone to train at elite levels can also make them less responsive to danger cues and more likely to rationalize risk as necessary.
In cases like Lindsey Vonn or other high-risk sport athletes:
The athlete has spent decades shaping a personal identity around sport performance.
The athlete sees competing (even injured) as meaningful in a way most people don’t experience.
The athlete’s internal reward system is wired to prioritize achievement over risk avoidance.
Because of all this, elite athletes can show distorted risk tolerance where the psychological value of peak performance and victory can override the typical self-preservation instinct, even when the odds are severe.
Final thoughts
Lindsey Vonn is not the first elite athlete, nor will she be the last, to compete while likely being advised to take a break and continue with rehabilitation. In fact, in combat sports we regularly see boxers and MMA fighters trying to get back in the ring when their corner pleads with them not to — or forfeits the fight out of safety concerns for their athlete. Athletes become their identity, and competing at the highest level is what they work toward, making it understandable why they will often look past serious dangers and concerns. It is for these reasons that yes, often those around an elite athlete have to bring logic and concern to a discussion that is filled with persoanl identity, unwavering motivation, and raw human emotion.
drstankovich.com
