Understanding the Link Between Athletic Identity and Eating Disorders Post-Graduation
You step foot on the line of your last ever collegiate race, and your stomach drops. This is it. All your hard work, and here is where it ends. As you cross the finish line, tears stream down because this is the last time you will ever get to celebrate with your teammates. Maybe you even feel a sense of relief because competing in college is exhausting!
As an eating disorder therapist in Cherry Hill, NJ, I often see how common these mixed emotions are, especially among former athletes. For many, this moment signals the start of a profound identity shift, one that can be supported and explored through eating disorder therapy as they adapt to the loss of routine and identity tied to athletics.
The Fear That Follows: A Cherry Hill Eating Disorder Therapist’s Perspective
No matter what feelings come up, the common theme I hear as an eating disorder therapist is fear. Fear of the unknown, of what your relationship with your sport will look like moving forward. Fear of how you will move your body and if you will feel in control. Sometimes fear comes from having too much flexibility in your workout routine and wanting to do it all. Sometimes it comes from the fear of not having the motivation to do anything without your coach and teammates by your side.
When you are a collegiate athlete, you have an identity. No matter who you are hanging out with, everyone knows you as the one who runs or rows. They look up to you for your dedication and hard work, your fitness, or your passion. “Without that, who will I be?” is a question I get often.
When it comes to participation in a sport after college, every sport is different. Running, for example, can be something that you can continue to compete in for a while. Performance can continue to improve up through your 30s for most runners. For a sport such as soccer, which involves a team, it can be hard to compete at a competitive level without going pro. No matter what, if it is mainly an individual sport or a team sport, the dynamic is not the same post-college. This leaves most athletes thinking, “What now?”
Life After the Final Race
Making the switch away from having a coach and supportive teammates can feel lonely. Workouts are often done by yourself, and you are left scrambling together something based on what you did in the past 4 years in college. That is, if you still have the energy and desire to continue. So many athletes are incredibly burnt out by the time they get through 4 years of competing at a collegiate level. I wish we could have the stats for how many athletes on a college team go on to continue their sport after college, just to get an idea of the team dynamic when we are choosing a university to attend.
Feeling burnt out from something that defined who you were for so many years is terrifying. It can feel like a loss of community and purpose. Struggling with your identity post-college graduation is common for most athletes. You may feel lost without your main identity, be uncomfortable with the way your body is changing, not working out for hours each day, or not know how to fuel your body without competition. It is confusing and scary.
Athlete Identity and Support
Graduation leaves athletes lost in who they are and what they enjoy. Connecting with your values as an athlete helps you see why you loved your sport so much and what you can carry from your sport into your non-athletic aspects of life. For example, a common value seen in athletes is dedication. Dedication helps you become an amazing athlete and teammate, but also helps motivate you to move up in a company or get a promotion. When you understand your values, it can help guide you through life choices.
Knowing who you are helps you live up to your own expectations. There is no right or wrong, bad or good. It is simple, what you want for yourself. If you are unsure of what your values are, try taking a look at what you value in others. Who do you look up to and why? List out 5 things that you respect about others, and would like to see in yourself.
Eating Disorders Post-Graduation
When you go from college to a busy 9-5 workday, your routine changes. You are learning to fuel your body, figuring out what movement looks like, and adjusting from the body of a competitive athlete to a working adult. The body changes during this time can be unpredictable and uncomfortable. Life transitions put athletes at higher risk for developing eating disorders. The unknown, the shift in schedules, the shifts in bodies, and the psychological challenges all become factors in the development of an eating disorder post-graduation.
You may find yourself trying to grasp control when so much feels unknown. This can show up in the form of trying to control food, your body, or workouts. Much of this need for control can be connected back to the loss of self.
Connecting Athlete Identity and Recovery: Insights from an Eating Disorder Therapist in Cherry Hill
When an athlete knows who they are on and off the field, they tend to have a sense of confidence, no matter their body size or athletic ability. Knowing who you are builds a sense of security in knowing what you are working towards and how to accomplish that because you know what you value. This confidence helps recovery stick. When you respect your body and what it does for you athletically, the confidence and respect are present in the rest of your life. We all need purpose in life, and I believe it is not about your sport that gives you purpose, but rather the values you use while participating. At Serendipity Counseling Services, we help athletes reconnect with those values through specialized support and eating disorder therapy for athletes, empowering them to carry their strengths into every stage of life.
Find Your Way Forward with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Cherry Hill, NJ
Losing the structure of competitive sports after graduation can leave you feeling ungrounded, especially when your identity has been so closely tied to performance and appearance. If you're struggling with disordered eating, body image, or a loss of direction post-sport, you're not alone. As an eating disorder therapist in Cherry Hill, NJ, I specialize in helping former athletes reconnect with their bodies, redefine their sense of self, and build a healthier relationship with food and movement.
Here’s how to get started:
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk about your experience and ask any questions you may have.
Book your first eating disorder therapy session to begin exploring the impact of athletic identity and how it's showing up in your relationship with food and self-worth.
Start the healing process with compassionate, personalized support designed for former athletes navigating life beyond competition.
Additional Therapy Services in Cherry Hill, NJ & Online in MD and PA
Alongside one-on-one therapy, I offer specialized support for runners and raise awareness through speaking engagements about eating disorders in sports. I'm passionate about creating spaces where athletes feel seen, heard, and supported, because you don’t have to go through it alone.
I also lead the Retired Athlete Support Group, a virtual space for former athletes to reconnect with themselves, reflect on their relationship with sport, and navigate life beyond athletics, all in a supportive, judgment-free environment.
About the Author: A New Jersey-Based Eating Disorder Therapist
Kate Ringwood is a licensed professional counselor and dedicated lifelong runner who brings firsthand experience to her work with athletes. Having competed in both high school and college, Kate developed a strong awareness of the unique pressures surrounding performance, body image, and food. This insight inspired her to found Serendipity Counseling Services, where she offers a compassionate, athlete-centered approach to eating disorder recovery. Kate has also shared her expertise as a podcast guest, speaking on mental health, disordered eating, and the complex relationship between identity and athletics.
