Distance runners' stories of sport injury and disordered eating.

OBJECTIVES

Extending previous research, this study examines distance runners' narrative accounts of sport injury and disordered eating, highlighting how these experiences intersect and unfold across their athletic careers.

METHODS

Ten regional to international level distance runners participated, who had experienced a range of injuries throughout their career (e.g., acute, chronic, overuse, career-ending). Life-story interviews (n = 28) and visual methods (i.e., photographs) were used to facilitate the participants in telling their stories. Data were analysed using dialogical narrative analysis and represented through creative-non-fiction.

RESULTS

Framed within narrative theory and taking a thick social-relational perspective, five stories were constructed that illustrate the complex and nuanced relationship between sport injury and disordered eating over time: Is it good for me?, I know I've gone too far, Maybe it wasn't too late for me?, Is this what normal feels like?, and I love food too much.

CONCLUSION

This study deepens understanding of how injury and disordered eating unfold within performance-oriented cultures, pointing toward more supportive narrative and relational possibilities, and provides pedagogical resources that can promote a shared understanding across interdisciplinary practitioners who aim to work collaboratively to support athletes' well-being.