Greater than Gold

Question

Teen Channel: Health

RED BANK, New Jersey (Achieve3000, November 23, 2020). To fans around the world, champion swimmer Michael Phelps seemed almost unbeatable. He won 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold. That's far more than any other athlete, ever.

But not everything in Phelps' life was "golden." He struggled with depression. Sometimes he still does. Other Olympic athletes have faced mental health issues, too. Snowboarder Shaun White is one. Figure skater Gracie Gold is another. Now these Olympians are speaking out.

They have an important message: Olympic athletes are only human. And they can be even more likely to have mental health issues than most people. Why? They don't have much free time. They usually begin their Olympic training at a young age, and they train hard for years. Other interests are put aside. At the Olympics, the athletes are under a lot of pressure. But afterwards, life can be even harder. About 80 percent of Olympic athletes go through depression when they return home.

And it hasn't been easy for Olympians to get the help they need. The U.S. Olympic Committee has only three mental health officers. These officers take care of about 1,000 athletes. On top of that, some athletes don't like to ask for help. They may feel they always need to appear strong.

But Phelps is working to change all that. He wants people to know that "it's OK to not be OK." He made a movie called The Weight of Gold. It has interviews with many Olympians. They share their stories about mental health issues. That may make it easier for people to seek help.

Phelps no longer swims to win medals. He's going for something greater than gold—helping people.

As he explained, "For me, that's way bigger than ever winning gold medals."

Information for this story came from AP.

Think about and discuss these questions:

What evidence supports the author's claim that many Olympic competitors face mental health challenges?

Elaborate on Michael Phelps' goal of being a mental health advocate for other athletes.
Question 1


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There is a large, empty rectangle. Above the rectangle, it says Main Idea of the Article. Under the rectangle, there are two smaller boxes with arrows pointing up to the rectangle. Each small box includes a fact from the Article. The box on the left says Michael Phelps is an athlete who struggled with depression. The box on the right says Michael Phelps made a movie about mental health issues.

Think about the Article. Which fits best in the empty box above?

Michael Phelps wants to help people by addressing mental health issues.
Olympic athletes usually begin their training at a very young age.
Olympic athlete Gracie Gold struggled with mental health issues.
Michael Phelps won more Olympic medals than any other athlete.

Answer 1

The best fit for the empty box above in relation to the main idea of the article would be:

Michael Phelps wants to help people by addressing mental health issues.

This choice effectively captures the central theme of the article, which focuses on Phelps' advocacy for mental health awareness among Olympic athletes and the struggles they face. The other options, while related, do not encompass the primary message as succinctly or directly.