Professional athletes endure immense pressure to deliver results, keep sponsors satisfied, and constantly stay in the spotlight. Recently, various Olympians have spoken out about the effects this stress has had on their mental health. (Watch the video above.)
“It’s been a challenge to kind of figure out what that healthy boundary is for my mental health with sport,” Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion regarded by many as one of the greatest female surfers of all time, told HuffPost. “You need to figure out where it’s worth it to keep pushing yourself.”
After winning her third world title, Moore hit a breaking point in her surfing career.
“I was just kind of really lacking passion and purpose, drive, motivation,” she said. “I got to a point where I definitely was anxious and a little bit depressed, and it was bleeding into my relationships. And I really had to hit the reset button and be like, ‘OK, well, something has to change.’”
Similarly, skateboarding prodigy Jagger Eaton, who made history in Tokyo by securing the U.S.’s first ever Olympic skateboarding medal, faced his own challenges.
“My ankle was fractured and torn almost completely three weeks before the Games,” Eaton said. “When I got to the Games, I was so ecstatic to not only make the team, but the fact that I had the chance to be the first American medalist … I didn’t really care about [the] pain.”
Both Moore and Eaton have faced burnout from the relentless demands that come with their pursuits. Sports and performance psychologist Dr. Leah Lagos explained how even the most seasoned Olympians can be affected by the intense pressure of performing on a larger stage.
“Olympians leading up to the Olympics will experience anxiety, even little spikes of panic that they hadn’t experienced before,” Lagos said. Many athletes face a feeling “that they can’t control all of the variables that they have controlled in the past when they perform, particularly because it’s a new setting, a larger stage, and increased stakes.”
In response to these pressures, this year’s Olympics organizers have announced a dedicated space for mental health support.
“It’s really important for all of us to feel like it’s normal, and it’s healthy, and it’s OK,” Moore said. “And especially for athletes, I think that we’re realizing that it’s such a big part of the game and what we do.”
As Moore and Eaton prepare to return to the Games, they have taken different approaches to manage their mental health this time around. The surfer credits her father and coach, Chris Moore, for encouraging her to ground herself in being of service to others. “I think that has really become one of my greatest mental tools, even today,” she said.
Eaton, on the other hand, feels more prepared for this Olympic run.
“The last Games felt really flustered, I felt really out of control,” he said. “I was going for this huge goal that I wasn’t prepared for, physically or mentally. Going into this game, I feel a lot more mentally sound, I feel a lot more prepared for the moment. I carry that confidence of performing well in Tokyo into Paris.”
