Elite athletes often face significant challenges when combining their sports careers with education or work. Balancing a dual career requires a great deal of persistence, motivation, and careful planning of all responsibilities on the part of the individual. Additionally, special arrangements are necessary from various organizations, including the Sports Federations, and sports clubs, educational institutions, and organizations that employ elite athletes. In Slovenia, elite athletes have access to various dual-career development programs that support them from the early stages of education to their first employment after retiring from professional sports. In my empirical research, I focused on Slovenian Elite Gymnasts, conducting in-depth interviews to explore the specific challenges they face in developing a dual career, the opportunities available to them for career development in another field during their sports career, and the effectiveness of dual-career support programs, particularly those provided by the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, which offers the most such programs in Slovenia. I also conducted an in-depth interview with an expert in this field who leads those career programs for elite athletes in Slovenia.
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