A phenomenological study of the experience of competitive cyclists following a critical incident: impact upon performance

This qualitative study seeks to illuminate the psychological impact of a critical, sport related negative incident upon competitive cycling performance and to inform therapeutic practice with this client group. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse data from semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 7 competitive cyclists who had experienced a negative critical event such as an accident, fall or crash during their cycling participation and who found that the incident had a negative impact upon their performance.
Analysis of the data focused on the participants’ experiences relating to the perceived impact of the critical incident upon performance. Six master themes emerged from the data encapsulating the experiences of the respondents: 1. Focus on self; 2. Focus on anxiety; 3. Physical injury; 4. Perceptual and decision-making processes; 5. Impairment of cycling performance; 6. Coping, adaptation and growth.
The findings suggest that an integrative/eclectic therapeutic approach would be the most effective in tailoring interventions for this client group, in consideration of the breadth and nuance of the reported impact upon cycling performance. Counselling psychologists’ training and philosophical orientation equips them with the necessary skills and abilities to deliver such interventions.