You know life is short, but that does not mean it is easy and happy. Sometimes people who have everything in this world have suffered through something that you cannot even imagine. Nope, I am not talking about Patrik Sjoberg going through a deadly surgery or some sort of accident.
It has something to do with his career, which was so glamorous on the outside but dark and nasty on the inside.
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For those who don’t know Patrik Sjoberg, he was a Swedish high jumper who was a very popular athlete in the Olympics. He was a world champion with fame, love, and money.
Nobody had ever thought that he was hiding a darker truth behind that smile. But after a long time, he decided to write a book and tell everybody about the tragic incident that changed his life forever.
Any guesses? What do you think could have possibly happened to him? Was it an injury? Nope! The world champion was sexually abused for several years by his coach.
Yes, I know, this is not a new thing in today’s world. But the time I’m talking about is not 2023. It was a time when people were judged for being sexually harassed. Your career can be spoiled just because someone did bad to you.
Yeah, it was very tough. But Patrik couldn’t hold this baggage for long.
His Book Inspired Thousands of People
In the end, Ptrik decided to write down everything in that book, and you won’t believe it; many people reached out to him and said that they would be sharing their stories with their families.
It did not only ease the burden on him but on others too! They felt confident about sharing what happened to them and saying that it wasn’t their fault.
Patrik Sjoberg also added that even though the person was caught and arrested, the trauma stayed there forever. He was asked about this all the time in the interview. Every time the player described it, his mind used to go years back to when it actually happened.
He couldn’t stop but think about all those things, and each time; the pain was sharper. I can feel him, man; he must have had a pretty rough time.
It is not about harassment only but betrayal. Someone, who learns things from you, and suddenly you decide to exploit him and sexualize him; why on earth does someone do it?
Final Words
It needs the courage to step ahead and narrate your story. It is not an easy thing to do. There are millions of people on this earth who have been through sexual harassment but have chosen to stay quiet about it.
Athletes are stronger than you think. For example, Anja Parson has retired, but the way she pointed out the loopholes of the Swedish team was just unbelievable.
So, next time you see someone struggling through something like this, allow them to speak to you and cry their heart out.
