ABSTRACT
This chapter provide a better understanding of the relationship between the national/cultural context and athletic transitions by comparing the athletic retirement of former Swiss, Danish, and Polish athletes. Athletes’ careers are heavily coloured by the way talent development programmes are organised, how elite sport is promoted and recognised, and how elite athletes are supported in their efforts to combine sport with school or work in different countries. Switzerland supports elite athletes through athlete career programmes including financial support, career counselling/planning, and help to find internships. Athlete career programmes are offered to both active and retired athletes during and is part of the socially responsible approach to elite sport in Denmark. Polish athletes reported the highest athletic identity; they were most confident in their skills, perceived themselves as the most popular, and earned a greater portion of their income through their elite sports involvement.
