What do these 5 former athletes look like after retirement? Mike Tyson got back into shape after online fat-shaming, while Olympic champion Charlene Wittstock transformed into the Princess of Monaco

There are plenty of benefits to being a world-class athlete in your prime, from the big pay cheques and luxury lifestyles to the adoring fans. There’s also a packed schedule of training, competitions and sponsorship appearances. Of course, working out and committing to professional sports also does wonders for the physique, so it’s no surprise that top athletes known for being in peak physical condition. But those ripped and toned bodies start looking a little different once these athletes retire. And what about how they fill their days now they don’t have to train with fervent intensity? Some former athletes are happy to live a quiet life in seclusion, while others move into new careers that keep them in the limelight. Let’s look at five famous athletes, before and after retirement … 1. Mike Tyson, 57 Sport: boxing As one of the world’s most notorious boxing legends, Mike Tyson wasn’t called Iron Mike for nothing. He became the youngest boxer to ever win a heavyweight title at the age of 20, per Britannica – a title he still holds today. But by the time he retired in 2005, he had a noticeably larger frame, leading to online fat-shaming. He later told Joe Rogan that the shaming is what inspired him to get back into shape. “You say body-shaming hurts some people, it helps me. I never looked at it as fat-shaming,” he told the podcast host. As well as getting back into fighting shape, Tyson also built a career in entertainment, appearing in films like 2009’s The Hangover and producing the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast since 2019. He recently confirmed that the podcast will go on hiatus though, as he prepares to get back in the ring in a match-up against Jake Paul. Who is Ryan Garcia’s adult film star girlfriend, Savannah Bond? 2. Princess Charlene of Monaco, 46 Sport: swimming Before marrying Prince Albert II and becoming Her Serene Highness, Princess of Monaco, Charlene Wittstock was a professional swimmer who represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and competed as a member of the South African women’s medley team in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Since swapping the pool for the palace, Princess Charlene has certainly transformed into a picture-perfect royal with the style to match. As well as becoming a mother to twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, the former swimmer is actively involved with philanthropy work, is a global ambassador for the Special Olympics, and stays active with surfing and hiking, per her bio on the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation website. 3. Ian Thorpe, 41 Sport: swimming After bagging three gold and two silver medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics held in his hometown of Sydney, Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe quickly became an international sports sensation. Shortly before announcing his retirement from competitive swimming in 2006, Thorpe was photographed with a larger frame than fans were used to seeing in the pool. During an interview with Foxtel, Thorpe admitted he was “a little bit overweight”. “You know I spent three or four months where I haven’t been able to train, and so I put on weight,” he said at the time. These days, Thorpe is back in shape and as dapper as ever, if his Instagram is anything to go by. He also is a sought-after brand ambassador who’s worked with major names like Armani, Adidas, Qantas and Telstra; and a dedicated activist and philanthropist, having established Ian Thorpe’s Fountain of Youth for paediatric disease research. Who is Kyle Kuzma, the rising NBA star dating Winnie Harlow? 4. Tonya Harding, 53 Sport: figure skating and boxing A former two-time Olympian and a two-time Skate America Champion, Tonya Harding became possibly the most infamous figure skater in history after her ex orchestrated an attack on her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994, an event immortalised in the 2017 film, I, Tonya. After the United States Figure Skating Association banned her for life, she took some time out and reinvented herself as a professional boxer during the early 2000s, complete with a new muscular body. Her boxing career was cut short in 2004, allegedly by troubles with asthma, per World Boxing News. 5. Prince Naseem Hamed, 50 Sport: boxing Naseem Hamed, better known Prince Naseem or Naz, is a British former professional boxer who dominated the ring during the 90s. During a 2002 interview with BBC Radio, Hamed confirmed his retirement, blaming chronic medical troubles with his hands. Since then, he’s noticeably put on weight. His own brother, Ali, who Naseem is estranged from, told the British press: “He has turned himself into a recluse who has spent 20 years eating non-stop and becoming morbidly obese.” Despite the weight increase and family drama though, Hamed has said he’s happier than ever. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve never been in a better place,” Hamed told reporters in a 2022 interview.