
Olympians are Raising Their Voices for Athletes’ Mental Health

Mental health is a topic that has often been left on the sidelines, despite its significance and importance. Even now, people tend to discredit the mental health struggle.
Over the past two years, it has only gotten increasingly prominent that mental health is important and should be treated like any other illness. The pandemic led to many people – mostly the younger generation – being more open and transparent regarding the struggles they are facing.

Pexels | People from every walk of life are dealing with mental health problems, even world-renowned athletes
Finding the Balance
Raven Saunders is an American Olympic athlete who has been an active sportsperson throughout her school life. She even managed to bag 4 NCAA collegiate titles and then went on to represent her country in the Rio Olympics in 2016.
After she returned home from the Rio Olympics, she had to get back to her studies in only 2 days. This just shows the pressure of keeping a balance between academics and sports.
Struggling With Mental Health
When talking to TIME, Saunders mentioned that she felt exhausted; she would isolate herself and was suffering from suicidal thoughts.
She then narrates the time when she felt like she had enough after her suicidal thoughts were getting the best of her and she had decided to end her life. But, a timely message to her therapist changed her mind. After that, she went home and the next day she visited her school and spoke to the coach about what happened the day before.

AP | It was because of Saunders’s openness and transparency that she was able to get the help she needed but unfortunately that is not the case for most athletes
Raising Their Voices
Saunders is not alone. Tennis Star Naomi Osaka is one of the athletes who are breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.
Though the media reported her facing backlash after pulling out of the French Open in order to protect and safeguard her mental health, she also received praise and encouragement from famous personalities such as Michelle Obama and Michael Phelps. US Gymnast Sam Mikulak also opened up about his struggle, especially during the pandemic, which worked like a magnifying glass that emphasized the feelings that Mikulak once suppressed.

Team USA | Mikulak reports feeling like he was going through an identity crisis during the pandemic
Despite the number of athletes becoming more and more vocal regarding mental health, there is not much response from the sports governing bodies. When physical well-being is a great concern for event organizers and coaches, then mental health should also be given the same importance.
More in MMA
-
`
The 5 Most Outrageous Handballs Recorded in Soccer History
pixfly/Shutterstock: Football, most loved sport in the world Soccer is a beloved sport globally where viewers watch every tiny move a...
November 20, 2022 -
`
Andre Schurrle’s Retirement Reasons Revealed
Bukharev Oleg/ Shutterstock : Andre Schurrle is retiring Another shocking news comes from the world of soccer! The prominent German player, Andre...
November 13, 2022 -
`
This UFC Fighter Is Taking The Bench As He Is Cut From The Abu Dhabi Lineup
MMA fans and critics were shocked when it was reported that Yamato Nishikawa won’t be competing against Magomed Mustafaev on the...
November 8, 2022 -
`
Why is NFL Football the Best Sport?
Football has left baseball behind to become America’s favorite sport with NFL events taking up a slot inmost television channels on...
November 5, 2022 -
`
These 3 Hollywood Stars Had Pretty Normal Jobs Before They Turned It Around
Hollywood has made stars out of people who were never connected to the show business in the first place! Many people...
October 31, 2022 -
`
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Billionaire News Debunked!
Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock : Cristiano Ronaldo During these past weeks, there was news regarding the billionaire status of three-time Ballon...
October 25, 2022 -
`
Here Are The Top 9 Highest-Paid DJs, Ever!
Several globally prominent DJs boast massive wealth, and in this article, we are looking at the top 10 wealthiest DJs! 9....
October 20, 2022 -
`
Keanu Reeves: The Icon Who Handed Out $75 Million of His Salary!
Not everybody is generous enough to give away $75 million of their salary, but Keanu Reeves loves nothing more than donating...
October 14, 2022 -
`
Here’s The Journey Of UFC And Strikeforce
Ultimate Fighting Championship, also known as UFC, is the biggest promotion in the game of mixed martial arts. We all know...
October 11, 2022
You must be logged in to post a comment Login