There are multiple facets to the answer I want to give you.
For instance, when an athlete gets on a national team, they get a carding cheque from Heritage Canada. You have to sign an agreement. You have to sign your life away to get that carding cheque or you don't get it. There should be some protection for that.
Also, depending on how many Olympics you go to.... If you're lucky enough to be like my husband, you go to four. How many years did he put his career on hold? He then had to go back into the work world and was looked at like he'd been doing nothing for 16 years, as if he hadn't been among the top five in the world in his sport.
Why aren't we being treated like what we are? We are ambassadors for this country as we travel around the world. Canada will invest in us as soon as we're producing, but at the end of it, we have nothing to walk away with, not even mental health. We get two months of mental health support after our career is over. Can you believe that?
There are some best practices that exist around the world. In many other countries, athletes are members of the military and get benefits the entire time. They have a pension building up the entire time they're competing, so they can decide when they're done. They can continue in that world or can leave with some sort of financial security.