“I don’t know, but I’ve been told
It’s hard to run with the weight of gold.”
New Speedway Boogie
The Grateful Dead
Olympic athletes have been suffering for years and the world is finally paying attention. Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent among elite competitors and often result in competition withdrawal, broken contracts, revoked sponsorships, loss of endorsement income, media shaming, public humiliation and even suicide.
Swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, winning 28 medals, 23 of them gold. Yet he struggled with what he called “crushing depression”. After two DUIs he considered taking his own life. Champion bobsledder Steven Holcomb attempted suicide and his friend Jeret Peterson, a gold medalist skier, succeeded. Tragically, while Holcomb survived his attempt, he was later found dead in an Olympic training center having ingested a lethal combination of pills and alcohol.
Substance use is often a response to anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression are often brought on by intense pressure, grueling competition and the expectations of others. And those expectations can be overwhelming when the entire world is watching.
Olympic tennis star Naomi Osaka shocked the world this summer when she withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon, citing mental health issues. Already struggling, she buckled further under the intense pressure to disclose and explain her decision.
Track champion Sha’Carri Richardson was a gold medal favorite but was banned from Olympic competition when she tested positive for marijuana (legal in her home state of Oregon). She described her use as a coping mechanism following the death of her mother.
Celebrated gymnast Simone Biles is facing criticism and scrutiny for her withdrawal from the games. She cited the negative impact of her mental state on her performance and her team’s chances. Some actually labeled her a cry-baby and a quitter. This after the USA Gymnastics Committee’s statement that the decision was made after a full medical evaluation. Biles continued to be evaluated daily to determine whether she was mentally fit to compete in the individual events. Cry-baby? For a gymnast attempting never-before-achieved feats of physical daring, any loss of focus or concentration increases the risk of serious injury; an unhealthy mental or emotional state could be deadly.
These are just the athletes we’ve heard about. How many more are suffering in silence, terrified to display weakness, to crack the facade they’ve spent years putting up? How can they let down their families and fans? Their trainers and teammates? And of course the press and the media?
“I am human,” Richardson tweeted, after being banned from the games. “I just happen to run a little faster”.
Yes, athletes are human, yet their aura of perceived “super-humanness” isolates them. In constant fear of appearing weak, they struggle to maintain composure and focus and push through injuries and burnout, while the hungry press details their every move. Being treated like a product rather than a person is dehumanizing and leads to further isolation, which is often unrecognized, especially when someone seems to be surrounded by people.
There is growing evidence that depression and anxiety are not necessarily chemical imbalances but natural responses to experience and circumstances. Research shows a direct correlation between mental illness and a lack of healthy supportive relationships. Human connection is essential to emotional health.
Have you ever seen an athlete win a final match or competition and immediately sprint to the sidelines or climb through the stands to embrace…
…their coach?
Maybe their spouse or parents are next, but more often than not an athlete’s most significant relationship is with their coach. Many of those relationships span years. Competitive athletes often have very limited social lives as a result of strict training schedules. Frequent travel may keep them apart from their families for long periods of time. The relationship with a coach is often their primary connection.
The roles of a coach…in sports, life or recovery…are numerous and varied. A coach is a motivator, an advocate, a role model, a cheerleader, a confidante, an ally. And whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a person in recovery, it is critically important that your coach always, ALWAYS have your best interests at heart. Your health and well-being need to be first and foremost.
Fortunately for Biles her coach has fully supported and validated her decision. And despite some criticism and negative press there has been an outpouring of love and support from her family, friends and fans.
And there’s more good news. The USOPC has announced the formation of a “mental health” committee, has made a commitment to giving athletes access to health professionals, and is seeking to understand them as humans, not just optimize them for competition.
But as the games in Tokyo come to a close this weekend, it’s worth noting that while over 11,000 athletes competed, just over 300 will go home with a gold medal. Once the games are over, the majority will experience feelings of letdown, loss or depression. Many will return to minimum wage jobs to support themselves as they resume real life and support these very expensive “hobbies”. One gold medalist described watching re-runs of her races while making a smoothie for a customer.
Let’s hope that a growing awareness of the challenges, pressures and fears faced by these athletes will lead to greater understanding, compassion and opportunity.
I started with a Grateful Dead quote so I’ll end with one too:
“Without love in a dream it will never come true.”
The song?
Help is on the Way
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