So, the Olympics are over, and so is your athletic career. Now what?

Well, there’s always the circus:

About 40 percent of Cirque du Soleil’s 1,300 performers are former athletes who typically have backgrounds in gymnastics, trampolining, synchronized swimming and diving. Some 50 current and former Cirque performers have competed at the Olympics, including stars of the 2008 Games such as Australian trampolinist Ben Wilden and bronze medal-winning American gymnast Raj Bhavsar.

Working for Cirque du Soleil appeals to ex-Olympians because it’s one of the few ways they can use the skills required for their sports to make a living once their competitive careers are over.

Yeah, it’s almost as bad as majoring in Political Science.

It’d be a bit of a blow to the ego, though, wouldn’t it? I mean, one day you’re one of the world’s most elite athletes; the next day you’re rooming with the Bearded Lady and helping wash the elephants in your down time.

Performers take the stage 10 times a week and train 10-15 hours a week on top of that. Salaries vary widely, but those performers with the most unusual acrobatic talents can earn as much as several hundred thousand dollars per year.

Oh. Never mind my previous statement, then. How much does synchronized swimming pay?