Astana, Kazakhstan, October 20, 2024: The National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan has held a two-day Olympic Solidarity Athlete365 Career+ seminar at the Nazarbayev University in Astana.
Olympic champions Dmitriy Balandin (swimming) and Olga Rypakova (triple jump) were among the 50 Kazakh athletes who attended the seminar which consisted of two modules covering different topics aimed at helping athletes plan their post-sports careers.
The speakers at the seminar included IOC representatives and former Olympians Hungarian shooter Zsofia Csonka and Chilean gymnast Simona Castro.
Balandin spoke about the perils athletes face once their sporting career is over. He said: “They face a lot of challenges. I retired after the Tokyo Olympics and encountered a common issue – too much free time. There was so much that I ended up doing nothing, just lying around, and this eventually led to depression. In such moments, the support of family, friends and loved ones is critical, and it helped me pull through.
“I would like to tell you not to be afraid of trying something new. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You just need to be willing to explore, develop and experiment,” shared Balandin.