#Athletes over the last few years had started to publicly address #anxiety, #depression and #suicidalthoughts they experienced
#SimoneBiles understands now that she was struggling long before she arrived at the Tokyo Olympics, where the unofficial face of the Games and one of the greatest gymnasts of all time was unable to force a smile and push her way through on the world’s biggest stage.
Biles had persevered through the widespread sexual and emotional abuse scandal that rocked the gymnastics community. She continued her intense training and preparation for the Olympics through its yearlong #pandemic delay.
She was fine, she convinced herself.
But when the seven-time Olympic medalist stepped onto the floor in July for the women’s team final, she was not fine. Biles was suffering from “the twisties,” a phenomenon in which she’d lost her sense of air because her mind and body could not sync, and she walked off the floor.
“I think it’s definitely pent up emotions, aggressions for the past couple of years, trauma that led to that moment of once I got on the global scene, it just cracked,” Biles said.
Recognizing that she was not in the right head space to compete safely, Biles ultimately pulled out of four events. She returned to win a bronze medal on the beam, but that shiny piece of hardware represented a much larger victory for Biles.
Her very public admission that she was struggling, which followed a decision months earlier by tennis player #NaomiOsaka to withdraw from the French Open and not play Wimbledon, redefined the #mentalhealth discussion that’s been coursing through sports.
“I gave so many opportunities to a lot of the #athletes there,” Biles said of the impact her decision made on others.
#MichaelPhelps, retired swimmer and winner of a record 23 gold medals, said the day after Biles walked off the floor in Tokyo that the gymnast had shown “it is OK not to be OK.” Phelps has long been public about his own #mentalhealthstruggles — including acknowledging he contemplated #suicide after the 2012 Olympics — but Biles blew the discussion wide open.
#Athletes over the last few years had started to publicly address #anxiety, #depression and #suicidalthoughts they experienced. But heightened by the strains of the #pandemic and the support shown to both Biles and Osaka, the toughest of the tough are no longer “shaking it off,” or any of the cliché things #athletes are supposed to do.
In the last three months:
— Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley stepped away from the game in October to “focus on my #mentalwellbeing,” he wrote on #socialmedia. “This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future.”
— Tennessee Titans receiver A.J. Brown shared a video on the one-year anniversary of the day he considered #suicide to deal with #depression he was battling during a breakout 2020 Pro Bowl season. “I just wanted to put out a positive message that I’m still here. I’m still growing. I’m still learning.”
— Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Lane Johnson missed three games to address #depression and #anxiety. “I was living in hell for a long time. Don’t bottle it up. And it’s easy to do that. It’s easy to avoid the situations that you don’t want to go through.”
— Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, said she would take a #mental break from tennis and sit out the start of next season to “re-set, recover, and grow” after a challenging two years that included contracting #COVID-19. “I could not detach myself from everything that was going on off the court; was feeling the collective sadness and turmoil around and it took its toll on me,” the 21-year-old Canadian wrote on #socialmedia.
— Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas broke from his normal private nature on a podcast to discuss #mentalhealthstruggles that nearly caused him to quit racing. Bottas called the podcast “therapeutic” and said he did it for fans in his native Finland because “normally I haven’t shared much underneath the skin… I think they have a right to know me a bit better as a human being.”
Greg Miller, a licensed professional #counselor for Thriveworks in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, noted the focus on #mentalhealth is not entirely new and previously was championed by #KareemAbdul-Jabbar. He also pointed to #RoyceWhite, who talked openly of his struggles while playing #basketball at Iowa State but as an #NBA rookie in 2012 refused to play because the league lacked a comprehensive #mentalhealth program. Royce was, according to Miller, a “canary in the coal mine” nearly a decade ahead of his time.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
Celebrating Your Gift of Life:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
While Biles and Osaka helped blow the conversation open, Miller believes #stigmas surrounding #mentalhealth won’t go away. #Athletes, particularly #male ones from traditional sports championed in the fabric of #America, will still struggle to seek help when needed.
“We’re taught as #men to be individuals who take care of things with grit and resilience, not community and vulnerability,” Miller said. “There are pockets of people in the country who see individuals talking about their feelings as weak or lacking masculinity in general. What you’re seeing playing out among #male #athletes now is nothing new to any #man who has ever dealt with #mentalhealthissues; it has been happening to #men across the country for generations.
“We, as a collective society, need to take a look at ourselves and decide whether an open conversation about #mentalhealth is strength-based or not. Until that happens, #male #athletes — and #men as a whole — will continue to experience difficulty discussing #mentalhealthchallenges.”
The #NBA has a “Mind Health” program and the #NFL and #NFL Players Association in 2019 formed a #mentalhealth and wellness committee. Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman earlier this month urged organizations to invest in support systems following an incident in which defensive end Everson Griffen called #police to his home and then refused to leave; Griffen has since revealed he’s #bipolar.
Most leagues do indeed now have robust #mentalhealth and counseling services.
Nearly six months removed from her own public dealings with #mentalhealthstruggles, Biles said “I’m honestly kind of OK that it happened” because it led to her receiving the help she didn’t recognize she needed. Had it not all come to a head on a gymnastics mat in Tokyo, her trauma would have followed her.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
