Tokyo 2020: why athletes' mental health is in the spotlight

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Olympic gymnast Simone Biles officially withdrew from her individual all-around event on Thursday to prioritize her well-being. Biles made the move after removing herself from a team event on Tuesday, saying she needed to focus on her mental health. Her public push to care for her mental health makes her the latest athlete pointing out the need for such support.

Straight Arrow News spoke with Dr. Aimee Kimball, a mental training and peak performance specialist, to dive into the challenges elite athletes face at international competitions.

Shannon Longworth

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

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NOW I’M HERE WITH DR. AMY KIMBALL. SHE’S A MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH FOR THE US HOCKEY WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM. SO DR. KIMBLE? ARE YOU SURPRISED BY WHAT’S GOING ON IN TOKYO RIGHT NOW BY THESE REPORTS OF CONCERNS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH?

I’M NOT SURPRISED. I THINK LIKE EVERYBODY, IT’S A SHOCK TO PEOPLE. BUT ATHLETES LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, THEY DO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND I THINK WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE OLYMPICS, AND SOMETHING THAT CARRIES SO MUCH WEIGHT, AND SO MUCH IMPORTANCE, AND THESE ATHLETES HAVE TRAINED FOR IT FOR SO LONG. AND THEN YOU ADD ON TOP OF THAT SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE PLACED AT THIS OLYMPICS IN PARTICULAR, I THINK IT’S A VERY OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCE. AND IT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME TOTALLY, THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.

DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS THE NORM, OR IS THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY STRESSFUL BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS?

I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THE NORM, BUT I THINK IT IS A STRESSFUL YEAR. AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE ATHLETES IN PARTICULAR, EVERYTHING WAS POSTPONED A YEAR OR TWO. SO THAT HEIGHTENS EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE BEEN FEELING BECAUSE OF TRAINING ALONE AND OTHER TRAINING TOGETHER. AND IT’S FINALLY HERE. SO THERE’S A LOT ON TOP OF IT, THAT IS HAVING TO BE DEALT WITH. I ALSO THINK NOW WE’RE IN AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE OPEN ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS. SO WHEREAS IN THE PAST IT MAY HAVE I’M SORRY, YOU FROZE? OH, I DID. YEAH.

I CAN I CAN WE START FROM THE BEGINNING AGAIN. I AM SO SORRY. YEAH, THAT’S WI FI. WAS THAT ON MY END? IT FROZE. I THINK IT WAS ME WE’RE HAVING SOME WI FI DIFFICULTIES. AND WHEN I’M NOT HARDWIRED IN IT’S, IT SKIPS SOMETIMES AND CUTS OUT. OKAY, LET’S TRY THIS ONE MORE TIME. I’M SO SORRY. OKAY, SO NOW I’M HERE WITH DR. AMY KIMBALL. SHE’S A MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH FOR THE USA HOCKEY WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM. NOW, ARE YOU SURPRISED BY ALL THESE REPORTS OF CONCERN FROM ATHLETES ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH IN TOKYO?

NO, I WOULDN’T SAY I’M SURPRISED BY IT PROBABLY SHOCKED LIKE ANYBODY ELSE’S. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE ATHLETES WHO ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT WHAT THEY DO, AND THIS OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T COME AROUND VERY OFTEN, THAT THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE INVOLVED. AND I THINK THE SITUATION THAT THEY’RE IN AS WELL, WHERE THEY’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG, EVERYTHING CAN BECOME VERY OVERWHELMING FOR THEM. BUT ATHLETES ARE LIKE ANYBODY ELSE WHERE THEY HAVE ANXIETY, THEY HAVE FEARS. AND SO SOMETIMES WHEN YOU’RE IN A SUPER STRESSFUL SITUATION AND ALL COMES TO THE SURFACE,

DO YOU THINK THAT THIS YEAR IS ESPECIALLY STRESSFUL, OR IS JUST EVERY OLYMPICS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH PRESSURE?

WELL, I THINK MOST OLYMPICS ARE FILLED WITH SOME KIND OF PRESSURE. ON TOP OF THAT, HIS EXCITEMENT TO BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY’VE WANTED. AND I DO THINK THIS OLYMPICS, IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE IT WAS DELAYED A YEAR, BECAUSE THE STRUCTURE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THERE’S A LOT MORE RESTRICTIONS WITHIN IT. I THINK THAT ADDS TO THE STRESS OF IT. THE ATHLETES DON’T HAVE THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEMS THERE. SO THAT’S SOMETHING ELSE THAT’S VERY DIFFERENT FOR THESE ATHLETES. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE’RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MORE OPEN TO TALK ABOUT THESE KINDS OF THINGS. IN THE PAST, IT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN WRITTEN OFF AS, OH, THEY’RE INJURED OR THEY CAN’T COMPETE. AND WE DON’T KNOW WHY. SO IT’S NOT TO SAY THAT THESE OLYMPICS IN PARTICULAR ARE CAUSING MORE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. I THINK JUST ATHLETES ARE MORE OPEN TO TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH.

NOW, YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, THERE WERE A LOT OF TWEETS AND COMMENTS, PEOPLE SAYING THAT THESE ATHLETES JUST NEED TO BE TOUGHER. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE KINDS OF CRITICS,

I WOULD SAY THEY’RE 100%. WRONG. YOU DON’T GET TO THIS LEVEL IN YOUR SPORT WITHOUT BEING TOUGH, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. AND I THINK IT’S VERY, VERY HARD TO COMPETE HERE. AND IT TAKES A LOT OF MENTAL PREPARATION AND A LOT OF MENTAL TRAINING. AND I DON’T THINK IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH TOUGHNESS, BECAUSE I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO ADMIT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IN SUCH A PUBLIC FORUM, TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF TOUGHNESS AND SELF ASSUREDNESS. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE CRITICS ARE DEFINITELY WRONG ON THAT COMMENT. NOW,

THESE CONCERNS ARE COMING FROM FEMALE ATHLETES, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WE DON’T HEAR MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH FROM MALE ATHLETES?

WELL, IT IS COMMON IN MALE ATHLETES TOO. IT’S NOT THAT IT’S MORE COMMON. I THINK WE’RE JUST HEARING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE ATHLETES THAT IT THAT IT HAPPENS TO BE AFFECTING THE SHARE. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT MICHAEL PHELPS, ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED OLYMPIANS IN HISTORY, HE’S VERY OPEN ABOUT HIS MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES THAT HE FACED DURING THE OLYMPICS, AND AFTER. AND IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER SPORTS, AS WELL, THERE’S A LOT OF MALE ATHLETES THAT HAVE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES. SO I THINK IT’S JUST FOR RIGHT NOW. THESE ARE SOME OF THE KEY ATHLETES IN THE OLYMPICS. SO THAT’S WHY AND THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE FEMALES.

OKAY, UM, AND SO NOW, FROM YOUR UNDERSTANDING, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO THESE ATHLETES GET AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR MENTAL HEALTH? ARE THEY SUPPORTED ENOUGH? DO YOU THINK,

YES, THEY HAVE A TON OF SUPPORT THE USOPC HAS SOME GREAT RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE ATHLETES. AND SO EVEN WITH THE US WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM, WE’VE ALREADY STARTED PREPARING FOR THE NEXT OLYMPICS AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WILL HANDLE ANY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP. AND WE’VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE USOPC, AND SOME OF THE RESOURCES AND PROVIDERS THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO ALL OLYMPIANS, AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL TEAMS. AND SO I KNOW THAT EVERYONE TAKES THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, THERE’S A LOT OF NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL TRAINING, BUT THE MENTAL PREPARATION THAT EVERY ATHLETE IN EVERY SPORT GETS ACCESS TO, AND MANY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS THEY HEAD INTO, PARTICULARLY EVENTS LIKE THE OLYMPICS. SO THERE’S A LOT OF SUPPORT THAT’S OUT THERE FOR THEM.

WHAT KIND OF MENTAL PREP, IS THERE? LIKE WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU HAVE SOME EXAMPLES THAT YOU COULD SHARE?

YEAH, SO IT’S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE ATHLETES. ONE IS A LOT WILL DO VISUALIZATION, REALLY IMAGINING THEMSELVES IN THE GAMES WITH THE PRESSURE, FEELING WHAT THAT MIGHT FEEL LIKE, AND STILL IMAGINING THEMSELVES PERFORM WELL, A LOT OF ATHLETES ARE DOING MEDITATION OR SOME TYPE OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING TO TO BE ABLE TO QUIET THE NOISE THAT’S AROUND THEM AND ENABLE THEM TO JUST FOCUS ON WHAT’S IN THE MOMENT, THOUGH, THERE’S DIFFERENT THINGS THEY CAN DO TO BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE AND JUST LEARN TO DECREASE ANXIETY, EITHER IN THE MOMENT OR LEADING UP TO THE GAMES AS WELL. SO THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MENTAL SKILLS THAT THEY CAN BE WORKING ON.

MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS, IS THERE ANYTHING SYSTEMIC ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE RAISE SERIOUS ATHLETES THAT YOU THINK NEEDS TO CHANGE?

I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE FORGET THAT ATHLETES ARE HUMANS, AND THAT THEY’RE PEOPLE AND THAT THEY AREN’T DEFINED BY THEIR SPORT. IT MIGHT BE A BIG PART OF WHAT THEY DO, BUT IT’S NOT ALL. IT’S NOT TOTALLY WHO THEY ARE. AND SO ATHLETES ARE HUMANS LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. AND I THINK SOMETIMES ATHLETES DO GET WRAPPED UP IN THE ATTENTION AND THE GLORY AND ALL OF THE THE AWARDS AND RECOGNITION THEY GET FROM THEIR SPORTS. AND SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE TO REMIND THEM THAT WHETHER THEY PERFORM POORLY OR WHETHER THEY HAVE THE BEST OUTCOME OF THEIR LIVES, THEY’RE STILL THE SAME PERSON, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THAT RESULT IS. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT’S SOMETHING THAT YOUNGER AND YOUNGER AGES PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT SPORT IS JUST PART OF WHAT YOU DO. AND YES, BEING AN ATHLETE IS PART OF WHO YOU ARE. BUT IT’S NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE. SO I DO THINK WE OVEREMPHASIZE RESULTS A LOT. AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE PROCESS. AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE HUMAN BEING TOO, AND MAKING SURE THAT SPORT ISN’T THEIR LIVES 24 SEVEN THAT THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY’RE INTERESTED IN OTHER HOBBIES AND PEOPLE THAT TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS OTHER THAN SPORT. BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU’RE AT THE ELITE LEVEL, ANYTIME YOU MEET SOMEBODY QUESTIONS ARE ALWAYS ABOUT YOUR SPORT. AND SO THEY START TO INTERNALIZE THAT OF THAT’S ALL I MEAN, ANYBODY ELSE’S, WHATEVER MY SPORT IS, AND SO I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE PEOPLE THAT SURROUND ATHLETES, TALK TO THEM ABOUT OTHER INTERESTS IN OTHER PARTS OF THEIR LIVES. MAKE SENSE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME. SURE. HAPPY TO BE HERE.