According to the article, Olympic athletes are more likely to have mental health issues because they train hard and are under a lot of pressure.
Greater than Gold
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.
According to the Article, why are Olympic athletes more likely to have mental health issues?
Because they have more free time than most people
Because they are strong and seem almost unbeatable
Because they enjoy sharing their stories with others
Because they train hard and are under a lot of pressure
1 answer
5 answers