Erica D. Henn, Temple University

Chinese esports player Jian “Uzi” Zi-hao was more than a star “League of Legends” player: He was so talented that his team structured its entire strategy around his abilities, funneling resources to him and another teammate, Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming, so the duo could lead the team to victory. Over the course of his career, he earned more than US$500,000 in tournament prize money.

And yet in 2020, Jian announced his retirement, his storied career cut short by chronic wrist and arm injuries.

He was 25 years old.

Video games have a reputation for keeping people glued to the couch. But for those who compete against the best players in the world, gaming can be surprisingly physically and mentally taxing.

The strain of ‘climbing the ladder’

The best esports players often have grinding schedules. They’re expected to regularly practice, participate in scrimmages and compete in official matches. Even at the recreational level, esports players cite the mental toll: playing for hours a day, every day, to hone their skills so they can “climb the ladder.”

A 2021 study of Portuguese esports players found that 37% experienced anxiety and depression, and 45% experienced sleep disturbances. The most common physical injuries in esports generally fall under eye problems and musculoskeletal issues.

Prolonged screen time leads to many types of vision problems in gamers, from the more common eye fatigue to a decreased ability to focus. Furthermore, the light emitted from screens appears to contribute to sleep disturbances by disrupting the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Many esport players – professional or otherwise – also battle hand and wrist pain, with repetitive button-smashing causing injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and “gamer’s thumb,” which arises from overuse or irritation of the tendons around the thumb and wrist. Many of the overuse injuries seen among video game players are also familiar to assembly-line workers, whose jobs can involve similarly repetitive movements.

Then there are the back injuries. Players can remain seated for three or more hours without a break, and this prolonged sitting can take a toll on the lower back and spine.

The sedentary nature of esports has also led to a lesser-known – sometimes fatal – injury called deep vein thrombosis: a blood clot, often in the leg, that can become life-threatening if it travels to the lungs. In 2011, British gamer Chris Staniforth – who would play for as long as 12 hours at a time – died of the condition.

Preventative measures

As more esports injury research has been published, more treatment and prevention strategies have emerged.

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Top esports teams now have physical therapists, performance psychologists, athletic trainers and even massage therapists on staff to optimize the performance and recovery of their players.

Teams often incorporate group exercise activities to both build rapport among players and reduce the risk of injuries. During competition, proper positioning of the spine and limbs has become an essential injury prevention strategy. For example, selecting a chair that encourages an upright posture can reduce pain and injury risk, especially when gamers couple ergonomics with an exercise program that centers on functional strength, mobility and stretching of the upper limbs.

Looking to the stage

When esports began gaining mainstream popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, its proponents were eager to draw comparisons to traditional sports and athletic competition. The parallels helped establish esports’ legitimacy and gave non-gamers a familiar framework for understanding the competition.

As esports became a big business and a lucrative career path, players and teams hired a web of support staff – trainers, coaches and therapists – that mirrored the structure of professional sports. In this vein, a lot of esports injury research has pulled from the training methods of traditional sports.

However, as a scholar of exercise science, I think injury treatment and prevention strategies could be further improved by seeing esports competitors as more like musicians and dancers than football players and basketball players.

Performance optimization and injury research on professional performing artists has existed for centuries, and I think it represents a valuable, untapped resource. That’s because the physical and mental stresses experienced during musical performance have a lot in common with esports competition: long stretches of sitting; small, dexterous hand movements; and performing without the real-time input of a coach.

For example, biomechanics research has found similar patterns of forearm muscle fatigue among esports players and piano players. However, no studies to date have directly compared the two groups.

And what if the interest in joint hypermobility or hand size among performing artists were translated to esport populations? Could popular piano warm-up exercises be effective for esports athletes who use keyboards?

Even research on sports like car racing might offer valuable insights. As with gamers, many people overlook how physically demanding car racing can be – and yes, that includes sitting for extended periods of time.

Prevention and rehabilitation techniques continue to improve. Even Jian, the player who retired in 2020, returned to play for a few splits, or partial seasons, in 2022 and 2023.

In July 2023, “League of Legends” star Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok was relegated to the bench due to cubital tunnel syndrome, an injury that emerges from arm and hand overuse.

Through a treatment plan that included changing his gaming posture and intensive physical therapy, Lee was able to return to play just a month later. He went on to win three consecutive world championships, with his support team helping prevent recurrence of injury throughout each season.

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Thanks to his rehabilitation, Lee’s fans will be able to follow his hunt for his fourth “League of Legends” World Championship, which kicks off in October 2026 in the United States.

Sienna Cinti assisted with the research and writing of this article.

Erica D. Henn, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Temple University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Sarah Dees, Iowa State University

As soon as news broke about the death of beloved songwriter Dolly Parton, I began receiving condolence messages from across the country, and around the world.

They came from friends, family and colleagues who knew I’d been working on a biography of the country legend – everyone from a conservative Catholic monk to advocates for queer and trans rights. The list reflects the even more diverse array of fans, people from countless backgrounds, who are mourning her loss.

The main focus of my project is Parton’s own spirituality, starting with her Appalachian upbringing. But it also examines her fandoms, including some people who elevate the singer to an almost sacred status. This was the case before her death – and even more so now.

As a scholar of American religions, I teach my students about practices, texts and beliefs that many of them immediately consider “religious” – for example, a worship service led by a pastor. However, religion is also found far beyond these official times and spaces, including in popular culture. According to scholar America Wolff, fandoms resemble religious groups in the way they focus on a single popular figure who inspires systems of belief, ritual and law.

Singer’s journey

Looking at Parton’s life reveals how a celebrity can incorporate religion into their public persona, without ostracizing admirers from other traditions. She discussed religion in interviews throughout her career, as well as in her 1994 memoir, where she recounted her maternal grandfather, a fundamentalist pastor, preaching hellfire and brimstone.

In 1971, for example, she told journalist Gene Guerrero how religion inspired some of her songs: “My mama used to read us all the Bible stories. I know the Bible pretty well, and I especially loved the stories.” That same year, she released “The Golden Streets of Glory,” the first of her several gospel albums.

Six years later, talking with Rolling Stone interviewer Chet Flippo, Parton claimed that she wasn’t a Christian. But “I do believe, I know there is a God and He is still the best friend I got in the world,” she explained. “I talk to Him often, but I’m one of the world’s sinners.”

Later in her life, though, Parton embraced the label “Christian” – albeit in a way that was very much her own. In the memoir “My Life and Other Unfinished Business,” she explained that “Christianity and its symbols are powerful parts of my life.” However, she diverged from socially conservative elements of her grandfather’s faith by embracing makeup and flashy fashion, celebrating her own sexuality, and speaking up for LGBTQ+ rights.

She was never interested in proselytizing. People do not have to embrace Christianity “to be a decent and worthwhile human being,” she wrote. “Spirituality is the most intimate part of a person’s makeup, and it’s strictly up to the individual to choose how to express it.”

‘Gospel of Dolly’

This openness explains part of Parton’s widespread appeal. The popular podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” produced by journalists Jad Abumrad and Shima Oliaee, was based on the premise that Parton is one of the few public figures to have fans across the political spectrum.

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After her death, President Donald Trump posted a tribute on his social media site, TruthSocial, and ordered that flags be flown at half-staff for a week. At the same time, in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco – a haven for the queer community – a Pride flag was also flying at half-staff in her honor.

Mourners include Jesuit priest and author James J. Martin, who thanked Parton for “teaching me about the Christian life,” and numerous Christian musicians who looked up to her. “She was the epitome of faith, grace, talent, beauty and humour,” country artist Carrie Underwood wrote. “She had a humble heart for Jesus and made everyone around her feel special.”

But even non-Christians discussed Parton in sacred terms: a “secular American saint,” as Vox writer Constance Grady designated her in 2021.

Beyond her music, these fans admired her philanthropy, from the Imagination Library program that distributes books to children around the world to her US$1 million donation that helped fund COVID-19 vaccine research. They also highlighted her support for the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights. “Dolly Parton is beloved because she has devoted her career to standing for love,” Grady wrote.

Even before her death, though, some people idolized her in a saint-like way. In 2011, for example, photographer Alice Hawkins produced a project titled “Dolly Parton is my religon.” Rev. Lindy Vogado, a Presbyterian pastor,likened her to a prophet. “Dolly Parton, through her life and work, inspires us to be better versions of ourselves,” Vogado wrote in 2025. “Just like any good prophet would do.”

In recent years, churches in Illinois, Oklahoma and New York have held services based on “the gospel of Dolly.” I attended the service in New York, which interspersed Parton’s songs with readings from scripture and homilies. Like the other services, the one I attended emphasized Parton’s “teachings”: love, care and acceptance.

Angels and atheists

Since her death, the religious language has only intensified. Musician Roseanne Cash referred to the singer as a “goddess” on Instagram, and cartoonist Marshall Ramsey portrayed her as an angel. “Listen, I’m fairly well atheist and have been for decades,” Threads user @cartergoesplaces proclaimed, “but Dolly Parton is in heaven with Jesus now. That’s simply a fact, and I’ll hear no arguments, no matter how vast the cosmos…”

Parton had her own personal brand of Christian religiosity, but she encouraged others to find and follow their own paths. I believe this helps to explain the huge outpouring of admiration – from followers of many religious traditions, followers of none, and followers of Dolly herself.

Sarah Dees, Associate Professor of American Religions, Iowa State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Last Updated on August 29, 2026 by Daily News Staff

Country music legend, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, bringing to a close one of the most remarkable careers in American entertainment.

Dolly Parton Dies at 80

Dolly Parton, whose unmistakable voice, songwriting talent, humor and generosity made her an American cultural icon far beyond the world of country music, died Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in Nashville.

Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center following a brief battle with cancer, according to her publicist. She was surrounded by loved ones. The specific type of cancer has not been publicly disclosed.

For millions of fans around the world, the news marks the loss of an entertainer who seemed almost timeless.

From the Tennessee Mountains to Stardom

Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton grew up as one of 12 children in a family with little money.

Those beginnings would become an important part of both her identity and her music.

Rather than distancing herself from her Appalachian upbringing after becoming famous, Parton repeatedly returned to those experiences in her songwriting. Songs such as “Coat of Many Colors” transformed childhood memories into stories about poverty, family, dignity and love.

After moving to Nashville, Parton eventually became a nationally known performer, including through her partnership with Porter Wagoner.

But it was her ability to write songs that helped establish her as one of the defining artists of her generation.

Her catalog would eventually include classics such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Here You Come Again” and “9 to 5.”

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“I Will Always Love You,” originally written and recorded by Parton in the 1970s, would find an entirely new audience when Whitney Houston recorded a soaring version for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.

More Than a Country Singer

Calling Dolly Parton simply a country music star never quite captured the full scope of her career.

She crossed into pop music, television and Hollywood while maintaining her country roots.

Her starring role alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5 helped turn her into a major movie star. The film’s title song became another Parton classic and an enduring anthem about the frustrations of working life.

Parton later appeared in films including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk.

She also became an extraordinarily successful businesswoman.

Her association with Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park bearing her name, helped transform the attraction into one of the state’s best-known tourist destinations while bringing jobs and investment to the region where she grew up.

A Legacy Built Around Giving

Parton’s impact may ultimately be measured by more than records sold, awards won or movies made.

Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, founded in 1995, free books have been provided to children from birth to age five.

What began as a literacy program serving children in Parton’s home county in Tennessee grew into an international effort distributing books to children in the United States and several other countries.

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Parton also contributed to disaster relief, education and medical research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center research that helped support development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Her philanthropy became almost as recognizable as her music.

An Artist Who Crossed Generations

Perhaps one of Parton’s most unusual achievements was her ability to remain relevant without abandoning the personality that made her famous.

Parents who grew up hearing Dolly Parton records introduced her music to their children and grandchildren. Country fans embraced her, but so did rock musicians, pop artists, actors and audiences who might rarely listen to country music.

Her enormous blonde hair, rhinestones and colorful outfits became instantly recognizable, and Parton frequently made herself the punchline of jokes about her appearance before anyone else had the opportunity.

Behind that carefully cultivated public image was a songwriter responsible for thousands of compositions and a businesswoman who maintained considerable control over her work.

Even late in her career, Parton continued exploring new musical territory. Her 2023 album Rockstar featured collaborations with major figures from rock and pop music and demonstrated yet again her ability to move between genres.

Tributes Pour In

News of Parton’s death quickly prompted tributes from across entertainment and public life.

Musicians, actors, friends and admirers remembered not only her extraordinary career but also the kindness and generosity for which she had become known.

The reaction reflects something that made Parton unusual among celebrities of her stature: she became a figure whose appeal extended across generations, regions and many of the cultural divisions of American life.

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Her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at the age of 82. The famously private Dean and Parton had been married for nearly 60 years.

The Music Remains

Dolly Parton’s career is difficult to summarize because it was never confined to one thing.

She was a country singer who became a pop star.

A songwriter who became a movie star.

A girl who grew up poor in the mountains of Tennessee and became a highly successful entrepreneur.

And a celebrity who turned much of her wealth and fame toward helping children she would never meet.

Dolly Parton died at 80, but the songs, stories and institutions she created will continue long after her passing.

For generations of listeners, hearing the opening guitar of “Jolene,” the tenderness of “Coat of Many Colors,” or the unmistakable opening of “9 to 5” will immediately bring her back.

And perhaps that is one of the greatest legacies a songwriter can leave behind.

STM Daily News will publish a more comprehensive look at Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life, career and lasting cultural impact in the coming days.

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Sources:
Associated Press — Dolly Parton dies at 80

Reuters — Dolly Parton dies at 80

Related Links:
Official Dolly Parton Website

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Dollywood