Elite Athletes Speaking up on Mental Health

Many elite athletes around the world are speaking up on mental health. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, is currently an advocate for mental health after suffering from severe depression. He said, “As a male athlete, I always thought it was a sign of weakness if I showed I was being vulnerable. It's not weakness. If we're injured, they're going to fix our broken bones, but if we're mentally struggling, we have to get help and we have to get it in safe places." Athletes such as Phelps are helping to break the stigma around the idea that mental struggles are a sign of weakness. By speaking out about his own personal struggles, he is showing the world that even the best athletes have mental battles and that it is ok. He encourages athletes to get help rather than keeping it in. Another example of an elite athlete opening up about mental health is Simone Biles, an Olympic gymnast. In the Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew from competition due to mental health concerns. She knew if she had performed without her mind being in the right place, she could have seriously hurt herself as well as let down the team. Biles said, “at the end of the day, we’re not just athletes or entertainment. We’re human too and we have emotions and feelings and things that we’re working through behind the scenes that we don’t tell you guys about. And so, I just think it’s something that people should be more aware of.” By standing up for her mental health, many have looked up to Biles for her courage in taking a stand and prioritizing athlete mental health.