Unfortunately, there comes a time in every athlete's life when the competitive cleats are hung up for good. Whether the time comes after high school, college, or an injury, the intensity doesn't last forever.

Eventually I learned this does not mean the fun has to come to an end. My time came during my junior year of college when I had to retire my figure skates due to health complications. I felt like I ended my entire identity. I was no longer the figure skater; I was just me. Looking back on that year, I can now see there is so much more to who I am than just my skating career.

When I first put away my skates, I wouldn't step on the ice for months because it felt pointless without a goal in sight. Now, a few years later, I am able to skate for the simple joy it brings me. I realize at the end of my competitive time I wasn't truly enjoying the sport. I was angry, frustrated, and forgot the reason I began skating 18 years earlier. Surprisingly enough, stepping on the ice brings me the same joy today that it brought me when I first started when I was four years old.

Now I can see that I didn't retire my identity, but just a part of me. Every now and then I will have to remind myself of this, but I found other interests and made other goals that fulfill that void in my life. The healing came through these other facets in life, but I had to let the healing start.

My advice for all athletes is to make friends, goals, and stay busy because it will help you see that there are so many more interesting things about you than your sport.