Losing my ultimate dream to Covid-19

With the postponement and cancellation of sport around the globe due to Covid-19, it was inevitable that the world championships for ultimate frisbee would be affected.

For those who don’t know our sport, over 3000 athletes from more than 50 countries were set to compete across three divisions in the world championships in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, this July.

So when the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) announced on Tuesday that it was cancelling or postponing all events for the next six months, hearts around the world broke.

Despite the announcement being expected, and little doubt about it being the right one, the thing that got to me most was the decision that our world championships will likely be completely cancelled, not just postponed. 

Conversations are ongoing about how to potentially reschedule the event, however it has been acknowledged that with a busy tournament calendar next summer it is unlikely they will be able to fit it in.

There may be room for a smaller event that would serve as a qualification for the World Games in 2021, but it would not be the same as having 50+ countries at worlds.

The world championships take place every four years, meaning if it is not rescheduled, the next time ultimate athletes could compete for their countries would be 2024. 

The World Flying Disc Federation today announced that it is cancelling or postponing all scheduled world championship events for at least the next six months of 2020, due to the impact of the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. https://t.co/6B4SNeq5kt

— WFDF (@WorldFlyingDisc) March 24, 2020

I have been playing ultimate since I was 12-years-old, and now at 25, this was my first opportunity to compete internationally at the senior level. 

And, in all honesty, it was meant to be my last opportunity as well. 

I am aware that I still have years of playing ahead of me and that I could very well be in my peak as an athlete in four years time. 

But competing at this level comes with many other burdens.

This year, I burnt myself out trying to balance doing my masters degree, train for team GB, train and compete for the university ultimate team, while also attempting to eat well, sleep well and manage to have a social life.

I constantly felt like everything was going 100 miles/hour.

Finding a work/life balance while competing at a national team level is not easy, spending many weekends away at training or tournaments.

As a result, over the last three months, I never felt like I was completely in control of my day to day life.

To some, this may sound like the cancellation of the world championships is a good thing for me, and maybe there are some bright sides. 

But, it was also all going to be worth it. 

To take the field with my teammates, representing team GB on the world stage, it was going to be worth it. 

https://twitter.com/becksthompson16/status/1215299415772160002

For me, this was going to be the pinnacle of my ultimate career. 

I had no intentions of completely retiring after, but I had every intention of decreasing the amount I play and the level at which I compete in order to allow myself to focus on other aspects of my life. 

I want to work in the sports media industry, I want to be able to give up my weekends to cover events and to not feel like I should be in two places at once. 

I am young and who knows where I will be in four years time, but for me this year was my dream. 

Competing in ultimate also comes with a significant financial burden. 

As a self-funded sport, we are responsible for paying for our kit, tournament fees, accommodation, food, travel and more. 

This amounts to thousands of pounds being spent on the opportunity to represent your country. 

For me, the burdens that come with competing at this level are not worth giving up my other dream of working as a sports journalist.

To continue to play at this level, I need a job, but to have the job I want and play the sport I love at the same time is not feasible.

For the last several years I have also been incredibly lucky to work as a commentator in ultimate. 

It allowed me to establish my name as a voice in our sport and it is something that I would love to continue doing. 

But with that, I viewed the world championships as my opportunity to establish my name as a player, to be known for my abilities on the pitch and not just for commentating. 

There were so many things riding on this tournament for me, and although the right decision was made, I am grieving the loss of all of them deeply.

I recognize that it may not be possible to reschedule the event, but I hope that every option will be looked at to try to make it happen.

Not just for me and all of my personal feelings on it, but for the thousands of players who have put financial, mental and physical wellbeing on the line to compete as well.