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Athletes' Stories on Mental health

SIMONE BILES

  • American gymnast that has a combined 32 Olympic and World Championship medals​.

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  • Was a participant in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

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  • She withdraw from multiple team and individual events due to mental health concerns.

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  • Her vocality on the issue helped bring more awareness to mental health in the sports realm. 

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  • Linked below is an interesting article on the issue:

Demar Derozan

  • Professional basketball player  for the Chicago Bulls and 5x All-Star.​

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  • Along with Kevin Love, was the first in the NBA community to discuss their own struggles with mental health.​

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  • DeMar says that he has struggled with depression and anxiety since he was a child

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  • DeRozan believes that anyone can experience mental health issues, no matter how famous they are. ​

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  • Linked  below is a great interview with DeMar: 

Michael Phelps

  • Former competitive swimmer for the United States and the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals​.

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  • Has been and still is one of the most popular and successful Olympians of all time, even after his retirement​.

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  • Discussed how he dealt with depression throughout his life.

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  • Has also discussed the pressure of success in the Olympic Games and how it can cause a toll on the athletes’ mental health​.

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  • Linked below is a great article on Phelps’ mental health:

Kevin Love

  • Professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers,  NBA champion, and 5 x NBA All Star​

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  • Notably one of the first NBA players to speak out on mental health.

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  • Suffered from severe anxiety and depression, it was so severe that he suffered a panic attack during a game in 2017, which caused him to leave the game early​.

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  • Has been one of the first NBA players to speak out on mental health​.

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  • Linked below is a great interview and article:

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Naomi Osaka

  • Japanese professional tennis player, one of the best female tennis players in the world​, 4x Grand Slam champion, and the reigning champ at the U.S Open and the Australian Open. ​

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  • Was the face of Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics​.

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  • Has been very vocal about the importance of mental health for athletes, especially female athletes​.

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  • She discussed how harshly athletes are scrutinized and how it can take a toll on their mental health. ​

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  • Linked below is a fascinating article on her struggles:

  • Captain of the “Fierce Five”, which was the nickname for the American women’s gymnastic team in the 2012 London Olympics​.

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  • Has been vocal about her struggles with anxiety and past traumas​.

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  • Her and other teammates were victims of sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar,  and this caused her and her teammates to experience a lot of emotional trauma​.

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  • Linked below are interesting articles on Raisman's mental health struggles and the Larry Nassar abuse: ​​

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