A Slight Change of Plans

The Invisible Weight of Olympic Gold

February 17, 2026

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  • Missy Franklin's experience shifted dramatically between her 2012 and 2016 Olympics, moving from a place of pure passion to one burdened by the pressure of defending her success and having swimming become her entire identity. 
  • The immense pressure leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics caused Missy Franklin to develop depression, anxiety, insomnia, and an eating disorder, stemming from equating her self-worth entirely with her athletic performance. 
  • Despite failing to qualify for individual events in the 2016 trials and facing significant mental health struggles, Missy Franklin found profound meaning in demonstrating graciousness in defeat, realizing that her impact outside of competition could be greater than her wins inside it. 

Segments

Introduction and Guest Context
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode of A Slight Change of Plans features Missy Franklin discussing the mental toll of Olympic competition.
  • Summary: The episode introduces five-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin, focusing on the mental challenges she faced, particularly during her second Olympic appearance in 2016. The host, Maya Schunker, expresses fascination with the psychological journeys of Olympians. The context is set against the backdrop of the Winter Olympics being in full swing.
Early Commitment and 2012 Prep
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(00:03:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Teenage Missy Franklin viewed her intense swimming commitment as a passion, not a sacrifice, driven by personal goals.
  • Summary: Missy Franklin won four gold medals as a teenager while training rigorously, involving multiple two-hour swim sessions on practice days, plus school and promotional travel. She was not concerned with external expectations heading into the 2012 London Olympics, focusing solely on making the team. She notes that Olympic trials are often more intense than the Games themselves due to the unforgiving nature of qualifying times.
2012 Success and Aftermath
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(00:08:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Missy Franklin’s 2012 London success included four gold medals, one bronze, and two world records, highlighted by a memorable interaction with Justin Bieber.
  • Summary: Franklin qualified for seven events in London and achieved massive success, which she recalls with a mix of professional pride and youthful excitement. A specific memory involves receiving a tweet from Justin Bieber the night she won her first gold medal. She immediately transitioned back to training for the next major competition, the 2013 World Championships, where she won six gold medals.
Shift to 2016 Pressure Cooker
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(00:10:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Transitioning to the 2016 Rio cycle, swimming became a job, leading to a loss of balance and the merging of sport performance with personal identity.
  • Summary: By 2015, leading up to Rio, Franklin turned professional after swimming for UC Berkeley, which fundamentally changed her mindset. The pressure to stay at the top, combined with new sponsors, made swimming feel like a job rather than an enjoyable pursuit. This led to equating bad practices or races with a bad sense of self-worth, causing loneliness and deep unhappiness.
Mental Health Crisis Unveiled
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(00:15:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Franklin was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and an eating disorder months before the 2016 Olympic trials after realizing her negative self-talk had erased her positive personality.
  • Summary: Franklin realized months into her struggle that something deeper was wrong, leading her to confess to her coaches in early 2016. She actively tried to repress her feelings using a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach, which proved damaging as her mental state deteriorated. The negative self-talk centered on the belief that her worth was nonexistent outside of winning medals.
Eating Disorder and Control
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(00:19:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Franklin developed restrictive eating habits as a way to regain control when her self-worth plummeted, despite knowing her body composition was key to her athletic success.
  • Summary: Feeling out of control mentally, Franklin focused on controlling her nutrition and body, leading to severe caloric restriction while training intensely. She recognized the irony of devaluing the physical attributes (like broad shoulders and large feet) that previously enabled her success. This restrictive intake severely impacted her performance leading into the trials.
Band-Aids and Trial Failure
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(00:21:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Facing an April shoulder injury alongside her mental health crisis, Franklin used immediate specialist consultations as a temporary fix before the trials, where she failed to make the final in her reigning Olympic event.
  • Summary: The band-aid solution involved immediate consultation with a sports psychologist, nutritionist, and physical therapist to manage the physical and mental state before trials. Franklin had to wear a non-genuine ‘Missy smile’ to hide her internal turmoil from others. She finished seventh in her signature event heat at trials, feeling immense shame and embarrassment.
Rio Olympics Survival and Grace
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(00:26:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite emotional dread in Rio, Franklin chose to focus on being an inspiration through her conduct in defeat, earning a fifth gold medal via a prelims relay swim.
  • Summary: The night before her first Rio event, Franklin felt overwhelming dread, unable to accept her father’s reassurance that it was ‘just a swim meet’ because her existence felt tied to performance. She did not make the top eight in any individual event, but she earned a fifth gold medal by swimming in the prelims relay for the 800 Freestyle Relay team that won finals. She prioritized acting graciously in defeat as her final chance to prove her character.
Healing and Post-Career Life
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(00:29:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Healing involved recognizing that her value extended beyond swimming, leading to true therapy and a shift in identity, though physical injuries prevented a desired comeback.
  • Summary: Returning home, the love shown by her neighborhood helped her realize the significant impact of her character outside of competition, marking step one of healing. She pursued true therapy, not just sports psychology, to address the root issues that tethered her identity to swimming. Although she achieved mental clarity, subsequent physical injuries prevented her from pursuing the comeback she dreamed of.
Current Relationship with Swimming
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(00:35:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Franklin maintains a positive relationship with swimming today by giving back through the USA Swimming Foundation and co-hosting a podcast focused on athlete vulnerability.
  • Summary: Franklin now works heavily with the USA Swimming Foundation to provide free and low-cost swim lessons to communities in need. She co-hosts a podcast with teammate Katie Hoff, discussing vulnerable moments with athletes to foster mutual growth. She views swimming as an ‘old friend’ she can return to at any time.