A Narrative on How a Long Term Knee Injury has Changed the Athletes Perceptions of their Body Image and Self?

Abstract

The study aims to add to existing research in addition to giving the reader an insight into how an elite individual performer copes with the emotions and stress which injury brings. The study is a self-narrative autoethnography in the form of diaries prior, during and after injury, of an elite athlete whose career ended due to a long term knee injury. Data will be analysed using a thematic narrative approach in relation to body, identity and a sense of femininity. The study found that injury impacts someone’s life significantly and changes their perceptions of themselves not only as an athlete but also as a person.