Career Transitions: Cristian Chamizo (ESP)

Pentathlon is a sport that challenges the mind as much as the body, as founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin intended. UIPM recognises the high levels of intelligence, commitment and adaptability among the athlete community and the professional success enjoyed by thousands of pentathletes after the conclusion of their career in elite sports performance. That said, one of the areas of focus in the UIPM Athletes Centred Programme (ACP) is supporting career transitions.

In a series of Q&A articles, UIPM News will explore how athletes negotiated this important phase of their lives. In this edition we speak to Cristian Chamizo of Spain, who competed in UIPM Sports from 2014 (aged 14) until 2025.

What made you embark on a career in content creation?

In all my years as an athlete, I wanted to keep studying. Once I completed my degree in Advertising and Public Relations, I needed to operate as a freelancer since getting a standard job to gain experience was not compatible with training and competing.

I started offering online marketing services, but it didn’t go as I expected. I always think that everything happens for a reason and this experience made me realise that I don’t want to get a standard job. I like projects, but I also needed a change in my previous project, so I decided to focus on what I discovered I love so much some years ago: capturing moments with my camera.

In this moment, I felt a great opportunity to combine content creation with sports, a world I have lived in almost all my life. Over the years I have generated a lot of contacts that I knew I could leverage to improve and spread the word about my work.

How much did you develop your skills while competing in Pentathlon?

I always say the values you acquire in elite sports are those you need for life. But one of the most beautiful things about Pentathlon is that you can find those values x10.

The discipline and honesty I found in this sport are what I try to apply to my daily work today. Reaching this understanding was a step I took years before I started my career as a content creator.

What advice did you receive when considering this career transition?

The first advice was to keep training and have a healthy life. It was a funny conversation, but I think it has so much truth in it. But it was my family that supported me and told me I should do something that motivates me and makes me happy. They told me that if I kept doing things like this, everything would be easier – even when I make mistakes – and I would finally find my path.

We see the rise of athletes as content creators in the Olympic movement. What advice would you give to an athlete taking part in Pentathlon now?

I would honestly say this is the best moment to do so. Obstacle Racing has brought a show to Modern Pentathlon and all disciplines benefit from it. We saw it last season with competitions like UIPM Pentathlon World Cup Budapest or the UIPM Pentathlon World Championships in Kaunas.

I had never seen anything like this in Pentathlon and I think a big part of the world has noticed it. People are starting to know what Pentathlon really is, but especially what pentathletes are made of. If I had to choose a moment to start (or continue) creating content for social media, it would be now, without any doubt.

How challenging is it to compete to your full potential while also maintaining an online profile?

I think it’s more complicated than some people think. When I was training or competing, I wanted to be 100% focused on it, since I understood that it was the only way to attain a place among the best. Any distractions from it made me feel a bit uncomfortable and I’m sure many people feel the same.

Of course, every athlete has their own way of dealing with these challenges, and some are doing a great job. I think the best way is to trust the advice of experts, let them help you find the best strategy for your brand as an athlete, and create professional content that might bring you many sponsorship opportunities.

How important is it for athletes to have a career plan post-sport?

I think it’s crucial. We athletes are used to having a daily plan and routine and constantly having goals to achieve. Once you finish your sports career, all this comes to an end. But it doesn’t mean everything comes to an end.

Once you enter into a different way of life, you should keep having goals and projects (whatever they are) that give meaning to your daily routine and, as my family told me, keep doing things that motivate you and make you happy.

I’m still in that process and I think I’m doing well, but this short time already showed me that there’s a whole world out of elite sport to explore and, above all, enjoy!