It’s the end of winter 2018, the Olympics just ended, but in just two years time, another set of athletes will compete against each other for the gold.  

Many don’t think about how Olympians get to be in the Olympics. People don’t consider the physical, mental, social, and financial sacrifices that are made in order to obtain a spot in the games. 

Physical

At some point or another, all athletes go through physical trauma. Olympians, however, acquire injuries on a daily basis. Bumps, bruises, cuts, and scrapes are all typical injuries that trainees face every day.  

Russian figure skater Sergei Grinkov is just one example of a trainee that lost his life in pursue of their dream. Grinkov worked so strenuously, by the age of 28, he had a heart attack while training and died. 

Injuries aren’t the only physical toll taken on the trainees’ bodies. Countless hours of intense training leave athletes feeling famished. To keep up this physical lifestyle, Olympians take in 5,000-12,000 calories daily, whereas the suggested calorie intake for the measly American is 2,000.  

Even though the idea of eating six times the normal calorie intake may sound appealing, (because let’s face it, everyone wants to eat more food, right?), it’s not nearly as good as it sounds.  

Olympic athletes are required to be put on specific diets which cut out all junk food and unnecessary sugars, carbs, and fats. Most of the time they have “food calendars,” which tell the athlete what food should be consumed at what time. 

For example, for breakfast, one must have some sort of protein. When we sleep, our bodies fast and muscle tissue breaks down. During breakfast, an athletes’ main goal is to undergo the muscle rebuilding process, also known as muscle protein synthesis. Luckily, there is a good source of protein in eggs. 

Food calendars force the trainees to eat every few hours during the day  in order to meet their calorie goal. Yes, that means that they even have to wake up during the night for a midnight meal. 

Mental 

Being a good athlete doesn’t only consist of physical challenges. On the road to success, there will also be many psychological obstacles. You know what they say, “success in sports is 10% physical, and 90% mental.” 

 The most common struggle that athletes undergo is the constant training. Many athletes train for almost 40 hours a week, which is equivalent to a full time job.  

It takes a toll on the brain to be able to solely focus on training. As an Olympic trainee, the number one priority is to train and practice. Every spare second is spent going over routines, or working out in order to gain strength.  

In order to be a successful athlete, he/she must be as mentally fit as he/she is physically. 

Social 

Exercise is a huge part of all athletes’ lives. However, for Olympians, it’s not only an activity, it’s their lifestyle.  

Normal teenagers can go out on Friday nights with their friends. They can see a movie and chow down on popcorn and soda. Unfortunately, trainees don’t have this freedom. Their endless training and dieting is continuous.  

As a result of this training, Olympian trainees don’t have the same normal social interactions as everyone else.  

Training typically begins before the sun rises and continues until after the sun sets. For an Olympic athlete, a typical schedule begins with 4 a.m. wake up and a session in the gym. 

If the athlete is still in school, he/she will go to school, and as soon as the last bell rings, athletes head straight back to the gym to practice some more.  

To be a true Olympic athlete, social interaction must be sacrificed that one is willing to give up. Some must even give up their family. 

Gold medalist, Gabby Douglas moved thousands of miles away to pursue her dream.   

Financial  

If an Olympic athlete can overcome all of the physical, mental, and social odds that were stacked against them, you’d think that they were in the clear, right? Wrong.  

One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome is the financial burden. Figure skating is among the priciest of sports. One skating dress can cost more than $10,000.  

Between the prices of the competition attire, choreographed routines, gym rentals, professional coach prices, and specific diets, an athlete can spend anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 every year. Just for a coach, it will be a minimum of $120 per hour. 

In this case, it really does take gold to win gold.