Fighting forward: purpose as a form of resilience for combat sport athletes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Narratives of sport as ‘a way out’ for young people from oppressed backgrounds tend to be over-simplified and linear, with critiques about perceptions of sport as ‘mythopoeic’, and able to overcome the environmental, social, and cultural forces and discourses at play. And yet, narratives of success through sport might be the most accessible for those from oppressed backgrounds or identity groups, where their future stories might be told. This dichotomy has been explored in combat sport, with research that both supports and questions the ‘sport-for-good’ narrative. In this study, we sought to better understand how narratives were told, embodied, and acted out through participation in combat sports. Interviews were conducted with male combat sport athletes who grew up in oppressed communities and who experienced multiple developmental traumas. Through narrative inquiry, three stories were crafted in the form of creative non-fiction portraits that were accessible, emotive, vivid, and embodied – engaging readers in the intimate discovery of unknown worlds in which they may find parts of themselves as well as a deeper understanding and empathy for others. Through these stories, we illuminate the inherent complexity of the role sport plays in the development of individuals, as well as examine a narrative of ‘unfinished’ which challenges and expands our understanding of engagement in combat sport, particularly for those from traumatising and/or oppressed backgrounds. We conclude by examining how purpose serves as an act of resilience for participants in the current study.