Danielle Nuñez Faces Life After Athletics
It has been said that elite athletes die twice: at their actual death, of course, but also at the time they retire from their sport. This concept — credited to author Roger Kahn, in his book The Boys of Summer (1972) — implies that after athletes dedicate their lives to the intensity of competitive athletics, stepping off the track — or field, or court, or course — for good means that they must leave their former selves behind.
When Danielle Nuñez was recruited for the Loyola Marymount University cross-country and track team in 2015, she was intrigued by the university’s promise of cura personalis — care and education of the whole person. This made it all the more heart-wrenching and confusing when she was asked to leave her team three years later, after accepting a position in LMU’s Tomodachi Scholar Program. At Nuñez’ own expense, her coach and institution failed to recognize her individuality beyond the track, but also failed to consider the jarring impact of an athlete having to adjust to life without their sport.
“I felt that no one was really thinking of me or how I might have been feeling. Not that they needed to, but I don’t think anyone truly realized how much I was asked to give up,” explained Nuñez. According to a 2012 study conducted by the Australian Journal of Psychology on “Elite Athletes and Retirement: Identity, Choice, and Agency,” it is common for athletes to experience depression and/or anxiety during this period of transition. Although the lifestyle adjustment is inevitable and has existed as long as competitive sports have existed, the mental health issue behind this identity crisis is not well researched and vastly underreported.
“I have been in the sports realm since I was probably four or five, but I started running competitively in high school,” Nuñez shared. “Once I started to gain recognition in my hometown, I became very passionate about track and running quickly became a trademark of my identity.” Nuñez won several league titles at San Pedro High School and is the proud recipient of a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship ring. Her goal was always to run for an NCAA Division 1 institution, and LMU seemed to be the perfect fit.
A natural born leader, Nuñez quickly expanded on her passions once she arrived on the bluff; volunteering as a Student-Athlete Mentor, fulfilling the role of Associated Students of Loyola Marymount University (ASLMU) Student-Athlete Chair, working as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Spirit Chair and later serving as SAAC President.
“Even though running was a huge part of my life, especially in high school, so many doors opened up to me at LMU that I really couldn’t pass up,” said Nuñez. During the fall of her junior year, she was offered a spot in the Tomodachi Scholar program — a unique 10-day experience at Sophia University in Tokyo, providing American and Japanese students with an opportunity to learn about each other’s country and culture. This is a very prestigious program at LMU and only select students are considered.
Unfortunately, Nuñez’ coach felt that the experience would turn her focus away from running. He pulled her into his office just before winter break and gave her an ultimatum: she could either turn down the Tomodachi Scholar offer or forfeit her spot on the team along with her scholarship. If there was one thing Nuñez learned from a lifetime of leadership, it was that she had to follow her heart and chase her passions. Right before the spring semester — and track season — of 2018, Nuñez hung up her track spikes for good.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I knew I made the right choice,” shared Nuñez. “In high school, my main focus was to compete at a collegiate level, so running was my main priority, of course. But I never planned on running after college so even though it was a huge priority in my life at the time, I had to consider my future and overall growth as a person as well.” Nuñez admitted that the entire situation felt surreal at first, but the grief finally hit when she saw her former team go on to race and make memories without her.
Along with retiring from her sport, Nuñez consequently had to step down from her student-athlete leadership roles. She considered it to be the “worst part” because she spent a lot of time building meaningful relationships within the athletics community and was passionate about using her voice to incite change.
The AJP journal article utilizes a quote from Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, stating, “during careers, athletes’ lives are dedicated to sport and are highly organized around competition and training and regulated by coaching staff. Retirement for athletes means a shift to independently managing and structuring their whole lives” (Shwenk et al., 2007). For Nuñez, this meant taking everything she had learned from elite athletics and applying those skills to new endeavors.
“Running taught me that I could do anything I set my mind to,” Nuñez explained. “Even when my body and mind pushed me to give up, I fought my way through adversity.” Nuñez had always loved being a part of a team, so she decided to rush sorority life and became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Her leadership experience encouraged her to run for ASLMU President and although she fell short by just over 100 votes, she is proud of herself for continuously getting back up, brushing herself off and trying again.
Today, Nuñez laces up her running shoes for relaxing runs on the bluff — where she once ran sprint repeats for practice. She refuses to wear a watch because she is no longer running for a personal record, or a coach, or a team, but for herself. She still struggles with scars from her past but knows that she is well-equipped to face anything the future has in store with tenacity, grit and courage.
“After all,” she reminds me, “once an athlete always an athlete.”
