"Enhanced" Games at the Doorstep: How Did We Get Here?

Introduction

A million-dollar prize for a new swimming "world record." A bold new challenge to the Olympic establishment. The Enhanced Games have arrived, emerging in the world of sport with a simple, radical premise: what if performance-enhancing drugs weren't banned, but openly embraced? On the surface, it’s a spectacle of science and strength, promising to unlock the next level of human achievement while finally paying athletes what they are worth.

But its arrival isn't a random event. It's the result of several long-standing issues, a response to questions that the world of traditional sport has struggled to answer. So, how did we get here? How did we arrive at a place where an idea so contrary to the "spirit of sport" can present itself as a logical, even necessary, next step?

The answer is complex, connected to the financial challenges faced by athletes for decades, a controversial redefinition of fairness, and a compelling marketing narrative that wraps an unconventional business venture in the language of progress and liberty. This post will explore the arguments behind the Enhanced Games, from the economic pressures many athletes face to the grand, transhumanist future they envision, in order to understand the forces that brought this controversial spectacle to our doorstep.

The Lure of a Livable Wage: A Solution or an Opportunity?

The most potent argument in the Enhanced Games’ platform is a financial one, and it is a powerful one. Supporters paint a grim but accurate picture of the traditional system, describing it as fundamentally broken and challenging for athletes. They argue that international sports federations have intentionally limited athletes' earning potential for decades. As a result, many of the world's most dedicated athletes often earn less than a livable wage. In fact, a 2023 report found that almost half of Australia's top athletes live below the poverty line (Healy, 2023), while many others go into significant debt simply for the chance to compete for a medal (Wolfe, 2023). The narrative rightfully frames elite athletics as a profession that deserves fair compensation, questioning a system that demands everything from an athlete but gives so little back financially.

Into this reality, the Enhanced Games presents itself as a disruptive new force. It promises to finally pay athletes "what they are worth" through guaranteed stipends and life-changing, million-dollar prizes. On the surface, who could argue with that?

Let's be clear: this criticism of the existing system isn't wrong. The promoters are leveraging a long-standing and difficult issue. For decades, many elite athletes have existed in a state of economic precarity, often lacking stable income or even access to healthcare, and for a long time were even being forbidden from leveraging their own image through sponsorships. They are, in many ways, a vulnerable population.

However, where supporters see a righteous solution, a more critical lens reveals a calculated business strategy. The issue isn't that the Enhanced Games identified this vulnerability; the issue is how they choose to engage with it. Instead of championing reform, they seem to be using the financial pressures on athletes as a powerful incentive for recruitment. The decision to start by enticing retired athletes—who may be struggling financially after their careers end and are no longer in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) testing pool—is a telling first move. It appears to be a strategic choice to engage with a more accessible group to become the first step in luring active competitors.

This raises a crucial question about intent. If the promoters are smart and resourceful enough to identify the system's deep flaws, why not lead a charge for systemic change? One is left to wonder if the goal is to pursue genuine reform, which is often hard work, or to capitalize on the profitable opportunities that a flawed system creates.

This leads to the final, uncomfortable question of value. The "paid what they deserve" mantra resonates emotionally, but what value is being created? A world record set under the influence of performance-enhancing drugs primarily provides value to the Enhanced Games' investors and brand, and a tiny group of athletes. While athletes deserve fair compensation, it's worth asking if a chemically-assisted record holds the same societal value as achievements in other professional fields.

So while the Enhanced Games rightly points to a significant challenge in amateur sports, it appears less focused on a mission of systemic reform and more on a strategic business opportunity built upon that challenge.

The Illusion of Choice: Freedom or Coercion?

When challenged on the ethics of a chemically-enhanced playing field, supporters pivot to a cornerstone of modern liberty: bodily autonomy. The argument is that athletes, like all individuals, have the fundamental right to make choices about their own bodies and to accept personal risks in the pursuit of great rewards. This principle is used to frame the use of enhancements not as cheating, but as a bold expression of personal freedom.

This high-minded ideal of individual choice is compelling. However, it raises questions about a potentially coercive dynamic that could lead to a form of induced dependency.

In a system where performance-enhancing drugs are not only allowed but are the main draw, the choice to remain "clean" could be viewed as a choice to be uncompetitive. An athlete chasing a spot on the podium may no longer feel truly free to abstain from enhancement, because doing so means knowingly competing at a significant disadvantage. This very concern has been raised by official athlete representative bodies, who argue such a system would unfairly pressure clean athletes (WADA Athlete Council, 2025). Why would any top-tier athlete choose to enter a race they have little chance of winning?

The result can be an indirect but powerful reduction of autonomy. The freedom to compete at the highest level becomes conditional on the "choice" to use performance enhancements. This appears to be a central part of the model's design.

This dependency loop is connected to the business strategy. The games are designed to be a marketing platform where record-breaking feats create public demand for the specific enhancement products the athletes used. For the business to succeed, there is a strong incentive for athletes to use the products and win. The athlete's performance and income become linked to the drugs, and the company's profit is linked to the athlete's chemically-fueled success.

Ultimately, the "freedom" being offered appears to come with significant trade-offs. It is the freedom to opt into a system of dependency, where the traditional notion of autonomy—the ability to compete and win based on natural merit—may be compromised.

A New Definition for the Spirit of Sport?

Supporters of the Enhanced Games make two key criticisms of traditional sport. First, they argue that the ideal of "clean sport" is unrealistic, claiming that doping is already common and that anti-doping efforts are largely ineffective. Second, they point to a perceived hypocrisy, questioning how organizations can ban performance enhancements on health grounds while accepting sponsorships from companies selling fast food, alcohol, and sugary drinks.

In its place, they propose a redefined "spirit of sport" that values "honesty" about enhancement over the pursuit of a "clean" competition. In this view, fairness is not about ensuring a level biological playing field, but about creating a transparent system where athletes are open about their methods and are financially rewarded for pushing the limits of human performance.

This proposal represents a significant departure from sporting tradition, and it's worth examining what gets lost in this redefinition.

First, this new framework appears to overlook a key reason why the "spirit of sport" was established. While some banned substances may be safe under medical supervision, their prohibition isn't just about health risks. For a substance to be banned, it must typically meet two of three criteria: it has the potential to enhance performance, it represents an actual or potential health risk, or it violates the spirit of sport (Athletics Integrity Unit, n.d.). They are often banned because they are seen as contrary to the internationally-agreed spirit of sport, which is described in the World Anti-Doping Code as "the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind," reflected in values like ethics, fair play, honesty, and health (World Anti-Doping Agency, 2021). It is a tradition that celebrates what a human can achieve through their own efforts.

This focus on pure financial compensation also risks encouraging a transactional view of sport, where the conversation centers more on monetary returns than on gratitude for the experience. This perspective can overlook the immense non-financial benefits that a life in sport provides. For so many athletes, sport is the pathway to an education, often through scholarships, an opportunity for world travel, and a means to build profound resilience and discipline. It forges character, creates lifelong friendships, and offers the unique honor of representing one's community. A discussion of what athletes 'deserve' feels incomplete without acknowledging gratitude for these life-altering experiences.

Furthermore, the claim that enhancement is necessary to see "how fast we can go" raises a philosophical problem. The moment chemical enhancement becomes the main factor, we stop measuring the limits of human potential and start measuring the effectiveness of a drug protocol. The "human" element of the record becomes unclear, a concern echoed in statements from the global anti-doping community (e.g., WADA, 2025; USADA, 2025). In truth, there may still be untapped avenues for improving performance naturally, from expanding access to sports in new communities to continuing advances in biomechanics, wearable technology (eo’s SwimBETTER, Polar Verity Sense, MySwimEdge, Form’s Smart Swim), and individualised science-based training programs.

Ultimately, the debate exposes a fundamental choice about what we want sport to be. Is its primary purpose to be a celebration of the natural human spirit, or is it to become a showcase for what technology can build in a lab?

The Promise of Safety and the Reality of Unknowns

A central part of the Enhanced Games narrative is its position on health. Supporters describe their approach not as "doping," but as a safe, controlled medical procedure. They speak of athletes being "well looked after" by teams of doctors, using legally prescribed, FDA-approved substances in structured, short-term cycles. They go even further, claiming the protocols actively improve health, allowing athletes to recover faster, train harder, and compete for longer, healthier careers.

However, this narrative of safety is strongly contested by the global anti-doping community, which has described the venture as dangerous and irresponsible (WADA, 2025; USADA, 2025). Official bodies like Sport Integrity Australia explicitly warn that many performance-enhancing drugs are linked to a range of serious, long-term health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, liver damage, infertility, and significant mental health issues (Sport Integrity Australia, n.d.). This establishes a baseline of known medical risk that sits in contrast to the idea of a completely safe endeavor.

Beyond these documented physical harms lies the subtle risk of psychological dependency—not necessarily to the drug itself, but to its effects. An athlete can become dependent on the boosted feeling, the enhanced physique, and the competitive edge, creating a cycle where their self-worth is tied to a substance.

More importantly, there is no guarantee that enhancement will produce the desired effect, and the experience of a prominent athlete, James Magnussen, serves as an important case study. Backed by an experienced coach and a medical team, his attempt to break the 50-meter freestyle world record was a key test of their methods.

However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and the reasons cited reveal a complex set of unintended consequences. According to his own coach, the drugs allowed Magnussen's muscles to recover at an accelerated rate. Believing he was ready, they increased his training load, only to see him stagnate and then regress. They later realized an unforeseen factor in their plan: his nervous system, which is critical for a sprinter's explosive power, reaction time, and coordination, wasn't recovering at the same rate. They were, in effect, unknowingly overtraining his nerves while his muscles felt fine—a significant oversight. Furthermore, the protocol he used led to a significant increase in lean muscle mass. This, in turn, made him denser in the water, reducing his natural buoyancy and creating significantly more drag, which may have made him slower.

Magnussen's journey highlights the core uncertainty of enhancement. Even with experts monitoring the process, they did not appear to account for asymmetrical recovery rates between bodily systems or the complex physics of moving through water. It suggests that the promise of a safe, predictable journey to the top may be more complex than it appears. In the world of chemical enhancement, every protocol remains a step into the unknown.

Examining the Message: Marketing and Transparency

The narrative presented by the Enhanced Games is complex and carefully framed. It begins with a vision of scientific progress, framing the venture as a movement to accelerate enhancement medicine for all humanity. This progress, they claim, is being held back by traditional institutions like the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

However, supporters have also been open that the "real business" isn't just the games themselves. The events serve as a marketing platform to achieve a far grander goal: becoming a major provider of enhancing drugs. They use the spectacle of record-breaking athletes, within a supportive culture, to build a mainstream consumer market for these technologies. Central to this strategy is a careful use of language: athletes aren't "doping" or "cheating"; they are making a "business decision" to compete "honestly", "legally", and "transparently."

As discussed earlier, the promise of fair compensation is the narrative’s most effective hook for athletes already under financial strain.

Their argument for "fairness" also presents a significant departure from traditional views. They claim that since a high percentage of athletes in the current system may already be cheating, opening the door to drug use is a more honest way to level the playing field. This argument shifts the focus from penalizing cheating to accepting enhancement as a new norm, raising questions about whether this addresses the core issue of personal and institutional integrity.

This leads to the tactic of breaking established world records. While a powerful headline, this requires important context. The Enhanced Games is a separate business with its own rules. A record set within its framework is an "Enhanced Games record," not a direct challenge to a record set under the long-standing rules of a sports federation. It's like comparing organic apples to oranges, if the oranges were grown in a lab.

The argument that all drugs are "legally prescribed" invites a closer look at what, exactly, is being "treated". While the drugs may be legally prescribed, their purpose is explicitly for enhancement, not to treat a diagnosed medical condition. This places the practice in a category similar to elective cosmetic procedures, where a doctor facilitates a client's desire for improvement. It raises an important question about the role of medicine in sport: is it to restore health, or to enable a competitive advantage? This highlights a critical distinction: a medical endorsement in the form of a prescription is not the same as an ethical endorsement within the value system of fair competition.

Finally, the claim of transparency has become a point of discussion. For an organization built on "honesty," it has been noted that they do not publicly share the specific drug and administration protocols used by their athletes. The official reason is to protect the public from attempting to copy the prescriptions. However, this has led to questions about whether this approach fully aligns with the value of transparency, with some suggesting it could also serve to protect a proprietary business model.

When examined, the marketing reveals a carefully constructed narrative where ideals of progress, a new definition of fairness, and clear commercial objectives all play a significant role.

The Bigger Picture: Redefining Human Enhancement

Beyond the stadium and the syringe lies the true ambition of the Enhanced Games: a transhumanist future. Supporters dream of a new "age of human enhancement" where science is used to overcome our natural limitations. In this vision, aging becomes a treatable disease, and sport serves as the laboratory and public showcase to normalize enhancement technologies for all. The ethical debate is significantly reframed, asking not if we should enhance, but why we would choose to reject a longer, healthier, technologically-assisted life.

This vision of a perfected humanity is seductive. But it prompts a far more fundamental question: in our race to enhance the human "shell," what is happening to the human soul?

The use of performance-enhancing drugs can be seen as another form of self-care delegation, much like the widespread use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. It's a shortcut that risks replacing healthy habits and personal responsibility. Why build cardiovascular endurance through exercise when a drug can improve oxygen levels for you?

This raises questions about our core values. When the focus shifts so heavily towards a capitalist, ends-justify-the-means approach, other values like empathy and ethics can be deprioritized. It leads us to question a culture that pours so many resources into enhancing our physical appearance while our cognitive, psychological, and spiritual dimensions—the actual essence of who we are—can be neglected. What is the benefit of a long-lasting, resilient shell if the person inside is left unattended?

When viewed against the backdrop of real-world problems, the entire endeavor raises concerns about societal priorities. In a world grappling with cancer, dementia, malaria, hunger, and a lack of clean water or quality education, devoting immense resources to see how fast a chemically-assisted human can swim can seem disconnected from wider humanitarian needs. It becomes an example of how capital can flow to spectacle rather than to need.

Of course, a single mother works two jobs; a student forgoes a social life to chase a scholarship; a refugee risks everything for a chance at safety. These are all leaps of faith born of necessity and hope.

But we must also remember the millions of others—doctors, tradespeople, paramedics, teachers, and nurses—who contribute immense value to society, often for modest pay, while striving to uphold their ethics every day. Their work enhances humanity in ways that truly matter.

Ultimately, the bigger picture reveals a choice. The Enhanced Games offer a future of technologically superior bodies. But in its pursuit, it champions a culture that can overlook the very values that make our lives worth living. Perhaps true human enhancement isn't about breaking records or defying age. Perhaps it's about strengthening our compassion, our integrity, and our commitment to one another. That is a race we should all want to win.

The Real Gap: Nurturing Humans, Not Just Athletes

If the rise of the Enhanced Games highlights challenges within the current system, it's worth asking what a more complete solution might look like. The entire debate brings to light an important area for improvement in elite sport: the need to develop the athlete as a whole.

A clue can be found in the American collegiate system, which has a distinct advantage over many others by integrating academic development alongside athletic performance. This model, at its best, provides athletes with the knowledge and skills to build a life after their sporting careers end.

Yet, even this lauded model only addresses a fraction of what constitutes a healthy, whole person. According to accepted wellness models (Rudnick, 2012), it primarily covers the intellectual and physical dimensions, while placing less emphasis on the environmental, spiritual, social, emotional, financial, and occupational needs of a developing human.

Viewed through this holistic lens, the solution offered by the Enhanced Games appears limited in scope. It primarily offers a financial incentive to solve a deeply complex, multi-dimensional problem. Its promise of "financial relief" and basic "health support" does not fully address the broader needs of an athlete. Its focus remains on optimizing the performance of the physical "shell," rather than on nurturing the emotional, social, or occupational well-being of its participants.

The real need isn't for chemically "enhanced" athletes, but for an enhanced system of support that sees them as more than a body that can break a record—a sentiment echoed by athlete-led councils and sports integrity bodies worldwide (e.g., WADA Athlete Council, 2025; Sport Integrity Australia, 2025). This means strengthening, not sidelining, existing initiatives like the International Olympic Committee's Athlete365 platform, which provides resources for career and personal development, and its Olympism365 strategy, which focuses on sport's broader contribution to society. True athlete development isn't about building a better performance machine; it's about nurturing a resilient, balanced, and capable human being, ready for a full life long after the roar of the crowd has faded.

A Better Way Forward: Building an Ethical Future for Sport

Instead of focusing on controversial models, what might a constructive and ethical path forward look like? Nurturing the whole athlete and preserving the spirit of sport requires more than just criticism; it demands innovative and sustainable systems of support. Here are two alternatives that aim to address the root causes of the challenges in sport today.

1. A Sustainable Financial Model: The Social Return Tax Credit (SRTC) To address the economic vulnerability that many athletes face, we could implement a national strategy to unlock private capital. The SRTC system would empower sport through tiered tax incentives, rewarding companies for investing in the nation's health and well-being. This approach builds on the established principle of Social Return on Investment (SROI), which recognizes that sport provides immense, quantifiable social value far beyond its direct economic impact. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested in community sport, the return in social value—through improved health, social connectedness, and personal development—can be upwards of $4 or even $7 (La Trobe University, 2016; SportWest, 2022).

   The model is simple:

   • Level 1: Critical Needs: Contributions to inclusive access programs or remote communities receive the highest incentive (e.g., a $1.30 deduction for every $1 donated).
   • Level 2: Growth Areas: Support for youth development, coaching, and facility upgrades receives a strong incentive (e.g., a $1.20 deduction per $1).
   • Level 3: Supporting Programs: Investment in local clubs and school sports receives a base incentive (e.g., a $1.10 deduction per $1).

   This strategy would engage businesses of all sizes to build a stable funding ecosystem from grassroots to high performance. It encourages long-term, shared investment in our communities and provides the financial stability our athletes deserve without asking them to compromise their integrity.

2. A Healthier Sporting Culture: The "Swim for Life" Vision Beyond funding, we need a cultural shift. Using swimming as an example, the sport can be reframed as more than a narrow focus on elite competition; it can be promoted as a lifelong practice for physical health, mental well-being, and social connection. This "swim for life" approach aligns with established Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) models, which emphasize lifelong physical activity as the final and most inclusive stage of an athlete's journey (Australian Institute of Fitness, 2024). The goal is to nurture a passion that lasts well beyond the competitive years.

   To make this vision a reality, we must:

   • Lower barriers to entry by improving public access to facilities, lessons, and quality coaching.
   • Balance investment to ensure grassroots participation is just as valued as elite pathways.
   • Promote a "swim for life" culture that celebrates participation long after an athlete's peak competitive years, recognizing its proven benefits for cardiovascular health, mental wellness, and social connection (Royal Life Saving Society - Australia, n.d.).
   • Focus on personalized growth and intrinsic motivation as keys to reducing dropout and fostering this lifelong participation (Wise Racer, 2024).

   This cultural shift would grow the sport’s reach, deepen public engagement, and ultimately create a broader, more resilient support base. It would inspire not just the next generation of champions, but lifelong participants who understand and value the true spirit of sport.

Together, these financial and cultural strategies offer a powerful, ethical, and sustainable path forward. They build a world where we don't have to choose between an athlete's well-being and the integrity of competition—a world where our heroes can inspire us not for the technological limits they can push, but for the human excellence and resilient, community-supported system they represent.

Summary

The journey to understanding the Enhanced Games begins with a compelling and valid premise: that our traditional sporting systems have left many athletes financially vulnerable. This single truth is the key that unlocks their entire argument. From this point, they build a persuasive narrative of empowerment, fairness, and scientific progress.

But as we have seen, a closer look at this narrative raises significant questions. The proposed financial solution seems strategically built upon athlete vulnerability. The promise of "bodily autonomy" exists in tension with the clear competitive pressures of the system. The guarantee of safe health outcomes is complicated by real-world examples of unintended consequences. And the claims of transparency appear intertwined with the objectives of a commercial venture.

So, how did we get here? We arrived at the doorstep of the Enhanced Games not through a single leap, but through long-standing, unresolved issues: the financial instability of many athletes and persistent questions about the effectiveness of traditional anti-doping systems. These challenges created an opening for an unconventional business model with a powerful marketing message to present itself as a compelling solution.

The Enhanced Games is more than a competition; it's a mirror reflecting our current values and our priorities. The question it forces us all to answer is not just about the future of sport, but about what we believe "enhancement" should truly mean for humanity.

Note: The original text of this article was written in English and has been translated using automated AI tools with the aim of sharing knowledge with a broader audience. While we strive to maintain accuracy, we encourage community members to help improve translation quality. In the case of discrepancies between the original and translated versions, the English version will take precedence.

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