AN EXPLORATION OF AN ATHLETE'S CHRONIC ILLNESS EXPERIENCE; THE SOCIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF LIVING WITH M.E

Abstract

This study aims to illuminate the identity dilemmas that arise when an athlete becomes chronically ill in sport. To illuminate the positive and negative consequences chronic illness can bring to an individual‟s sense of self and the world they interact with. Through a case-study and self-narrative approach this research aims to offer a deeper insight into a female athlete‟s experience of Myalgia Encephalomyelitis (M.E). From a perspective informed by Frank (1995) and Goffman (1969, 1990 [1963]) the themes emerged from the participants and family perspectives focus on the consequences of an „invisible‟ illness and the ways in which a strong athletic identity learns to adapt, manage and accept a way to re-story the self when limited narrative resources are available.