Olympic gold medalist Sam Quek has shared insights into the identity struggles she experienced after retiring from professional field hockey in late 2016. Although her transition to a career in broadcasting has been successful, Quek admitted that adjusting to life beyond elite sport presented significant challenges.
"Every athlete after an Olympics has a little bit of a comedown and a bit of like, 'who am I? What do I do?'" Quek stated in an interview with the Daily Mail. She described the period after leaving the structured environment of elite athletics as potentially lonely, highlighting the shift from a system geared towards achieving gold to an undefined future.
Beyond the career transition, Quek also touched upon societal pressures related to physical appearance, particularly for women. She noted that even now, she sometimes worries about these expectations, despite her pride in her Olympic achievement.
"They expect you to look tone they expect you to look slim. They expect you to look strong," Quek said, referring to the lingering expectations that accompany her status as an Olympic gold medalist. She described an internal pressure to maintain a certain image, which has been further complicated by body transformations following the births of her two children.
Quek married property tycoon Tom Mairs in August 2018. The couple met in 2013 and have since welcomed a daughter, Molly Doris, in 2021, and a son, Isaac Gregory, a year later. Despite their differing professional fields, Quek revealed that a strong sense of competition persists within their relationship.
"We get competitive with everything," she said, citing activities like playing football in the garden with their children, visiting arcades, or participating in pub quizzes. Quek also mentioned her enjoyment of competitive video games, such as Call of Duty, with her husband and his friends.
However, Quek emphasized that their professional lives are marked by mutual support. She explained that they prioritize supporting whichever partner's career is currently more demanding, ensuring they can both thrive without the pressure of simultaneously operating at peak capacity.
Quek has also partnered with the seltzer brand White Claw to address the concept of a "friendship recession," which describes the difficulties adults face in maintaining friendships. Research indicates that over half of adults consider maintaining friendships a significant effort, with many spending considerable time daily on social interactions. Quek noted that balancing social life with work and family commitments makes dedicated time for friends challenging.
"I think as girls, I think we are really bad at making time for ourselves and going out and having a glass of wine with the girls," Quek commented. She encourages her husband to spend time with his friends, recognizing the importance of such outlets for everyone. She added that face-to-face interaction remains invaluable, despite the ease of digital communication.
According to research conducted in partnership with White Claw, 55% of adults believe being a good friend requires more effort now than in the past, with 41% dedicating less than 10% of their energy to social connections. The study also highlighted signs of a "friendship recession," with 20% reporting unequal effort in friendships and only 23% having people who check in on them unprompted. A quarter of people socialize less in person than they did a few years ago, and 40% have not returned to pre-pandemic social habits.
Psychologist Katherine Templar Lewis, also collaborating with the brand, explained that a "friendship recession" is characterized by a decline in the conditions that foster friendships, such as time, proximity, ritual, shared attention, and low-pressure togetherness. She warned that increased contactability does not equate to increased connection and that loneliness poses a significant challenge, as connection is fundamental to emotional and mental health.