Braden Overett retires from competition (fan appreciation thread)

In my mind, I was different; not for a second did I think I'd go through what my friends went through. When I was done, it would either be because I had won the Olympics 19 times and broken all possible world records. I would have reached the pinnacle of sports fame, driving a different exotic car every day of the week and buying small countries with my 900 bazillion dollars. Or, I'd walk into the rink one day and there would be a giant neon sign reading: "Braden Overett's Retiring Today!" as though it were the day fate assigned me to launch myself whole-heartedly into my next great adventure. Guess what. None of that happened.
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Most of the world doesn't speak skating. The non-skating folk don't really get it when you say you trained every day! When you explain the attention to detail in costuming or choreography, they look at you like you're nuts! Talk about the commitment, the passion, the cost or the effort, and they understand the words but not what they mean [to you]. It can be a hard pill to swallow when you've dedicated your life to pursuing a goal, and the only way people can relate is by asking if you can do a triple Axel or if you went to the Olympics. Ummm, yeah... remember? I won 19 times; I can't believe you've never heard of me.

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