What is it about?

This study focuses on the lived experiences of high-level athletes who have experienced difficult, harmful, or traumatic experiences in sport. We want to understand how these experiences have impacted your participation, performance, and overall wellbeing within your sport. We’ll also explore your thoughts on how the sporting environment could have been more supportive in the context of your experiences.

Your story matters

Your story matters – no matter how big or small you think it is.

Many athletes hesitate to share their experiences because they wonder if their story is severe enough to qualify as trauma. If an experience in your sport left a lasting, distressing mark on your mental health or wellbeing, it counts.

You don’t need to have experienced severe physical abuse to participate. Trauma in sport includes chronic pressure, toxic environments, bullying, sudden injuries, emotional neglect, or organisational stress.

Who can participate?

We’d love to hear from those 18+ with experience in structured sporting systems – professional, academy, or elite pathways.

What will participation involve?

If you choose to participate, you will be invited to interview. This will be conducted online via Zoom and will last approximately one hour. This may involve multiple interviews. The interview will be an opportunity to share your story, experiences, and perspectives. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw at any point throughout the interview process.

It is important to note that participation in this study requires the interview to be recorded. Anonymised transcripts are essential for data analysis. If you are not comfortable with recording, unfortunately, we will not be able to include you in the study.

Institutional Backing & Athlete Safeguarding

Ethical Standards: This doctoral research has received formal ethical approval from the University of Portsmouth Science and Health Faculty Ethics Committee (Ethics Reference: SHFEC 2024-073). All data is stored securely and anonymized.

Dedicated Support Network:

We recognise that discussing difficult experiences requires care. In collaboration with leading athlete advocacy organisations and charities including Kyniska Advocacy and The British Inspiration Trust all participants are provided with specialised, regional welfare and support resources (tailored for England, Wales, and Scotland) before, during, and after participation.