Since when has mental health been more important than a gold medal? ALWAYS! It is unfortunate that more people haven’t prioritised their mental, and physical, health over their sport, work, or any performances.
The recent withdrawals of Simone Biles form some Olympic gymnastics events and Naomi Osaka from the Wimbledon tennis championships highlight the pressure top level sportspeople can face and yes some of them can lead fantastic lives travelling the world but not all of them. It is not a situation I ever faced but there were always nerves before any games and that was only in front of teammates, school mates and occasionally parents in competitions that did not really matter and have long been forgotten.
There is so much that we have to worry about that perhaps we should all stop and ask for help when needed or even when we just want to talk to someone.
Wise choices Simone and Naomi.
• Dennis Fitzgerald,
Melbourne, Australia
