Former Team USA swimmer will serve as a mental health specialist to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Tokyo and will assist elite athletes with the care of their brains and their bodies.
What attracted you to become an officer in mental health?
I was plagued by anxiety and body image issues, eating habits that were disordered, as well as anxiety issues when being an athlete. This was a factor in my performance, perception of myself as a social person, and also the way I interacted with others. The focus was on increasing confidence in myself at the time I began to see the Therapist. It is the moment that changed everything in my sporting career. It helped me develop the self-confidence framework that was exactly what I required. We often overlook the fact that sportsmen face their own individual tensions. There’s a lot of unsuccessful athletes. In the process of striving for the highest level of success and excellence, some things get lost. Being in this situation I decided to create an aid for those who may be in the same situation.
Are you excited about having a job with athletes who are Paralympians?
Yes, Two mental health professionals will be competing during the Olympics and two of them will participate in the Paralympics. I’ll be participating in the Paralympics. I admire the determination and determination of athletes competing in the Paralympics, and their capacity to conquer and overcome the most difficult challenges. I’m extremely excited to work with them.
What is your job description include?
If an athlete’s performance isn’t as they’d prefer and is faced with difficulty or failure Mental health professionals could be a source of help. If any emergency situations arise during the Games the mental health officers can be your first contact point. I also aid athletes to deal with post-Olympic depression. This is generally referred to post-Olympic depression. It’s quite common since we tend to consider ourselves to be a part of our sport, rather than something other that isn’t our sport. This is amplified at major sporting events. My job is to help athletes in moving forward with their lives after the Games are finished.
What has the outbreak done to your involvement in helping athletes in the Paralympics?
This year is going to be different since not only could there be some disappointments in the performance, but we aren’t sure if family members are able to go to the concert due to COVID. This means that we need to be the support system. There’s a lot of uncertainty and events that we cannot plan for.
Which of the projects you’ve been involved in as a member of the group is your favorite?
The mental health register is developing. This will result in a nationwide database of mental health specialists to which athletes can have access. In order for athletes to communicate with a person who is in their training and receive immediate help and support, they require to keep training at the highest level. Many athletes have mental illnesses. However, this doesn’t mean that they must stop playing in their sport, or even abandon their objectives.
