Video: Emily Batty Shares Thoughts & Feelings on Olympic Postponement
 | The longer something goes unaddressed, the harder and more challenging it is to continue moving forward. I've been stuck on silent mode the last couple months, mainly because I struggled to convey how I thought and felt and because things happened so fast. Sharing this video as a conversation starter and to address everything that is going on in the world at the moment. |
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Member since Mar 30, 2011
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Everyone in the world has thoughts and feelings about this situation, and not everyone is doing 25-minute long(!) (professionally-produced?) talking heads. The ego behind thinking the whole world has been waiting and wondering why _you_ alone are being "silent", is pretty significant. Either that or the need to please the marketing machine that literally runs your life...
There are far bigger things going on right now. Ego isn't a strong enough word.
Saying "yeah, it sucks but I'm looking forward to things when competition restarts and the Olympics come around next year" is about all there is to say, no?
Encouraging your fans to manage this psychologically well is something you can do. I've been super impressed with riders like Bruni (and others).
Anyone with a voice can connect with their fans in really meaningful ways right now. I don't think this is the best way to do it, but that's me.
Thanks for sharing, it was not forced.
This is a bike site. She is a bike professional. Some folks follow her and want to know whats going on with her training, mental prep. It isn't easy to train up for something and then have the rug yanked out from under you (we are all experiencing that in one way or another whether as athletes or in our profession). For those who want to listen, it is a release from the doom and gloom that we are constantly bombarded with on regular news programs. Her story is her story and you should be grateful that she is willing to share it. And, if you don't like the message, don't watch, or, don't complain just because you don't think she is doing it the way you think it should be done. Make your own video if that is how you feel about it.
Looking forward to Summer riding of any kind. Thanks Emily for taking time to try and connect with your fans.
You are a great athlete, and I know you are a great person. I've made a number of missteps with my own content over the years. I could have been more tactful, and for that, I apologize.
Keep on keepin' on, good luck in future races this year, stay healthy and kick ass in the Olympics.
Emily, take care and all the best.
1. Didn't she say she was getting messages what is going on? People tend to not get messages that people don't want to hear from them, so when someone says they want to hear from you, you talk to them
2. She's from Canada - they all apologize way too much to the point where people from "rougher" cultures feel embarassed.
3. She's an athlete, many of them are self centered. I wouldn't get to where I am with my trolling if I wasn't egocentric. So fair enough.
4. Find the sarcasm.
So for an athlete to stay fit, relaxed etc is not something they just need to do for themselves. It is something the team demands too.
No ego there...
At the sports end of the spectrum, there sure may be some egos out there and it sure serves a goal, but again I do think that these athletes are very aware of the team supporting them. Especially with relatively small teams we see in mountainbike sports. Maybe in those big government funded/pushed sports associations it may be different but in the smaller teams we see in mountainbike sports I don't think this is quite the case. Athletes typically speak highly of their mechanics, staff etc. If any ego is too big, I would say it the nationalism surrounding stuff like the olympics. I do understand the event is a big deal for athletes too but as I mentioned before, I hate the olympics. Olympic committees go to silly lengths in the hunger for medals, often over the backs of athletes. And it isn't even just the olympic committees. The audience getting pissed off when an athlete fails to perform. Look at the shit going on in the soccer champs. Do soccer players have an ego? Probably. But this audience that goes ape shit when an athlete makes a mistake in the heat of the moment. A missed penalty shot. "How can you miss a penalty shot? You're being paid millions to score. Booo!" Sorry, if there is one ego too big in sports, it is the national ego.
Seriously though, while you may want to elaborate on our post, there is by no means any reason to apologize for your opinion, I think most people share it. There is a lot bigger things going on here. And who even knew she was being "silent" in the first place?
Stay safe all.
Less than 3,000 people died on 9/11 and yet almost 20 years later people say never forget 9/11. Over 50,000 people are going to be dead in my country because of the incompetence of our federal government dealing with coronavirus and yet we are supposed to not care now as loved one's die?
How are all the supposedly pro-life people all of a suddenly so anti-life?
You may not know anybody who has died yet but you eventually will. The normal human response when lots of people are tragically dying is humility and sadness, were you raised by emotionless robots or something?
While it is statistically improbable that I know someone that has died from that virus specifically, I have experienced loss of life. I simply do not rank the "tragicness" of natural deaths. Again, people are always dying, just because it's not on the news doesn't make them any less significant, and it would be unreasonable to expect the entire world to act in a way that you may think it appropriate for all these deaths.
Either way, just my view though. Peace.
Also your point about motor vehicles is just retarded. Most modern countries take significant measures to protect both the safety AND HEALTH of drivers.
Peace? F off I have no respect for your careless opinions.
That's kind of why this whole this alienates/upsets some people, because most of us aren't trying to "get to filming" our "responses", because we have regular jobs (or maybe currently no jobs) and can't just throw on a sponsor hat in a video and get paid. We're just living through it, working from home, Zooming with family and friends (relying on each other), trying to keep fit without getting hurt or violating physical distancing guidelines.
"because I feel guilt about wanting to share my feelings"
Guilt about the feeings? Like, "stupid virus, messing up my plans because I was feeing good!". Well, guess what, that's pretty much EVERYONE! So don't feel bad about that.
Or guilt about wanting to share them? That' might be another thing that makes this whole vid a bit unlikable: everyone in the world wants to share their feelings, that's why "Zoom" became a verb almost instantly. Everyone is talking to friends and family about the situation. I talk to my wife about it pretty much everyday, and she works in a hospital in infection control so there is way more than some race results on the line for us. I'm terribly sorry if you feel a public video pronouncement of your feelings is the only thing that will help you feel good... maybe talk to your friends and family more.
"and not addressing it early, it just got worse and worse"
So I guess I don't get why some simple "Yeah, I was in hospital with an infection, but it wasn't COVID-19, and I'm OK, and so is my family" responses to inquiring folks on social media was not good enough. I have friends with family members who actually died from COVID-19, and not one of them has yet put out a 25 minute video about their feelings. There is a group text or a social post at the most.
So maybe I'm taking this a little personally, but maybe if the Redbull hat wasn't there (you got PAID for this: social media posts/responses don't pull in sponsor money without hashtags, but I guess that would be just too blatant), it wouldn't feel so... insincere. Yes, I 100% understand that the answers were very probably sincere, but it just doesn't feel that way. It feels like the "radio silence" became a build up until something slick could be created and draw tons of headlines and exposure.
"if you want to look at it as an opportunity"
NOPE NOPE NOPE. There was never anything stopping you from talking with your family and friends. Would you say it was an "opportunity" when someone dies and you see extended family or old friends at the funeral? NO, because you're at a funeral and someone has died! Shit, currently there probably wouldn't even be a physical funeral for more than immediate family, so even if you did consider that an "opportunity", well, that's gone for the time being
Also would help if we could hear the questions from behind the camera.
Your job is to race bikes and you're darn good at it. I've been following your social media activity for over a year now and I know you're not full of yourself and that you always have good, positive vibes and you wear your heart on your sleeve; the average pinkbike reader doesn't have that context so I can see how this could have come off a little egoish. It's hard to be in the spotlight and have shade thrown at you like this.
It's good to hear from you again and that you're feeling better, can't wait to see you battle it out with the other competitors in 2021! Good luck!
She is a public figure and has a following (at least in cycling); Im sure part of her job is doing this type of stuff. Her fans like to know what’s going on and she has a outlet to do this.
No one wants to know what’s up with your family... no one wants to know what’s up with my family. Not being special is a hard truth that many can’t accept. Get over yourself.
Emily - I'd highly recommend avoiding pinkbike comment section if you're looking for support or encouragement. If you aint rocking Minions, baggies, full face and a dropper you're gonna get blasted fo sho.
Welcome to Thunderdome!
#mystory #blessed