Competitive Swimming and Everyday Life: A Narrative Approach

Abstract

Psychological studies of the lives of competitive swimmers focus primarily on training and competition, rather than life experience as a whole. Addressing the need for research in this area, this narrative inquiry draws on Jungian and archetypal psychology to explore the archetypal patterns and themes shaping the swimmer’s life, both inside and outside the pool. The study includes the depth psychological assumption that the unconscious is a real and integral part of psychological life, and utilizes a heuristic methodology, whereby the bias and psychological orientation of the researcher are recognized as viable and integral parts of the interpretation of findings, as well as the research process. Interviews were conducted with four competitive swimmers ranging from 22 to 46 years of age. Through listening closely to the interviewees’ responses, the researcher synthesized these portraits into cohesive narratives. Specifically, this study looked at how participation in competitive swimming, for at least 3 years, affected the psychological orientation, lifestyle and habitual behavior of those subjects involved. Drawing on the work of C. G. Jung, James Hillman, Joseph Campbell, and others, specific emphasis was placed upon amplifying the archetypal content as expressed in the narrative of each competitive swimmer. Through the subject’s own report, each of the 4 competitive swimmers attributed significant psychological affects, behaviors, and lifestyle patterns from participating in competitive swimming. Analysis of the narratives revealed a significant degree of archetypal expression that stemmed from participation in competitive swimming.