Retirement is a significant change in an elite athlete’s life.
It is a step into the unknown and, after dedicating yourself to your sporting career, the transition away from the World Class Programme can be challenging.
2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Nekoda Smythe-Davis, recently decided to retire from judo at the age of 32. After announcing the news, she spoke to the BEAA to share her advice for navigating the process.
Find out how the BEAA can support you with your transition.
A 2016 Olympian and a two-time World Championship medallist, the final few years of Nekoda’s career were challenging to say the least.
She suffered a concussion in 2019 which forced her to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics and then, returning to competition after a three-year absence, she missed out on selection for the Paris in the final tournament before the Games.
May 2024 was the last time Nekoda competed, but retirement wasn’t an easy or quick decision.
“Deciding to step away from elite level sport has been really difficult,” she tells the BEAA.
“I needed that time to go back and forth in my head and to speak about it with people before I finally got to a place where I was sure stepping away from high level sport was what I wanted to do.
“Some people may look back and go ‘surely you would have known that from June 2024’, but I didn’t.
“It wasn’t until my 32nd birthday in April 2025 when I woke I up and had the feeling that I was done and I think you have to have that feeling, especially when you’ve spent your whole life doing a sport.”
In the 12-months between her last competition and her retirement, Nekoda spent time away from judo. She admits she needed to heal from the disappointment of missing out on Paris so gradually reduced her training and then began to explore her identity outside of judo.
Nekoda acknowledges every athlete is unique and that retirement is different for everyone, However, based on her own experience she is keen to highlight the importance of time in making what for many, is a life altering decision.
“Ultimately when you step away, you want to step away in the best state possible mentally, physically, emotionally,” she adds.
“And I think you should take your time to get to that place. You want to leave knowing that you've got a backup plan, that you've got something to walk towards when you leave and you want to make sure that if there’s things you’ve struggled with in your career or relationships which need you to have conversations, then you’ve done all that.
“When I stopped competing last year, I found someone call the Concussion Companion and with her I had time to delve into a lot of the symptoms I was struggling with since I suffered my concussion.
“I spent six months working with her and it became quite holistic. I addressed a lot of things I felt I needed to before I decided I could fully step away from sport and I’m so glad I did.”
Nekoda is now embarking on her coaching journey with the launch of her very own judo hub.
The Beacon Judokwai is due to launch soon, meaning her career in the sport will have come full circle, having been a coach prior to joining the World Class Programme.
The 32-year-old admits having something in place has made her transition easier and her advice to her fellow athletes is plan for and invest in your life after sport while you are still competing.
“Having something else that you do on the side is a big thing I’ve always advocated for during my career,” she says.
“Whether it’s something educational or another passion of yours, having something outside of sport that can give you the mental break that you’ll need during your journey as an elite athlete, but also that gives you something to fall back on when you exit.
“Don't be scared to put some money aside when you're an athlete so that when you finish, you've got a pot of money there that is just about self-development.
“It isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows once you step away. It's going to be hard, but you can start to put things in place and there are people out there that can help you.
“Utilise the support that the BEAA, UK Sport and UKSI offer so that when you make that decision to step away, you’re walking away from something that was amazing but walking into something that’s also great.”
