You’re Not Alone: 10 Athletes Who Have Prioritized Mental Health
By: Marissa Morah | Timeout Copywriter, editor, and strategist
The athletic community has experienced tragic loss after loss as suicide rates are rising among student-athletes on college campuses. And while suicide among athletes shouldn’t ever happen, just in 2022 alone, we’ve seen the rate skyrocket in comparison to previous years. To give you an idea, an average of about four college athletes committed suicide each year from 2003–2012. It’s only May, and we’ve already experienced six reported losses — three of whom were amazing female athletes who passed just seven weeks apart from each other.
💚 Katie Meyer. Jayden Hill. Robert Martin. Sarah Shulze. Lauren Bernett. Sean North.
This is some heavy stuff, and the impact on these lives gone too soon has caused an uproar on social media and sparked very important conversations. We’ve heard from athletes all around the world, at all levels — from collegiate to professionals, Olympians, and more who have spoken out about their own mental health.
We hope these inspirational words will help you along your journey. We hope that if you are struggling, you find comfort in knowing you aren’t alone, and that there is power in taking time to prioritize your mental well-being.
1. NY Jets Defensive Tackle, Solomon Thomas
Reflecting on the death of his sister, Solomon Thomas made a beautiful tribute to her on his Instagram and in the Player’s Tribune. He said he’s learned that it’s ok to not be ok, and that her story has inspired him to have life-saving conversations and really ask how people are doing. He mentioned that in this world of social media, we are often so hesitant to share the real and raw, however, he’s dedicated to embracing all of his emotions, and push out real life.
What a great example of creating beauty out of a tragic loss in order to inspire others.
2. Professional Tennis Player, Naomi Osaka
We saw in May and June of 2021 how Naomi Osaka is a professional at boundaries. She withdrew from the French Open last year as well as Wimbledon due to mental health struggles. She actually refused to do press in Roland Garros. She took to Twitter to shed light on how she feels that people, the press, in particular, have no regard for athletes’ mental health during press conferences. She touched on how she’s struggled with these negative interactions. They weren’t beneficial and she had no interest in hearing from people who spread doubt about her abilities. She could care less about the $15,000 fine that came from refusing to show up.
She’s an inspiration that it’s ok to put yourself first and cut out negativity at all costs.
3. UMBC Soccer Player, Tyler Lewin
Tyler Lewin, a D3 collegiate soccer player, took to his Instagram in March of 2022 to share how his battle with mental health reached such a critical point that he made the brave decision to bring his collegiate career to a stop. He relayed his struggles with anorexia, and how that played a huge role in impacting every category of his life, briefly mentioning his added struggle with suicide. Tyler was also involved in the Hidden Opponent, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for student-athlete mental health.
Thank you, Tyler for your example of bravery.
4. Olympic Gymnast, Simone Biles
Simone Biles shocked the world in July of 2021 when she stepped down from the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health. Known as the greatest gymnast of all time, she said the emotional toll of upholding that title ultimately led her to step down and take a back seat during this competition. However, that didn’t stop her from showing up for her teammates and cheering them on during the competition.
She’s an example that sometimes even the best of the best struggle too.
5. Offensive Lineman Ohio State, Harry Miller
Harry Miller expressed his struggle and journey with suicidal thoughts on Instagram. He opened up about his medical retirement and the battle with being afraid to look like a coward. He also mentioned the pressures on his current generation from older generations — making generalizations about “being too soft.” After announcing his retirement, he added that any image and likeness earnings would be donated to humanitarian efforts.
Harry Miller’s heart of gold is inspirational and his strength is reflected in his ability to take a step back.
6. Olympic Simmer, Michael Phelps
One of the winningest athletes of all time, Michael Phelps has been open about his struggle with depression and anxiety throughout his successful career. During a Society of Human Resources (SHRM)conference in September 2021, Michael opened up that despite all of the amazing success he had, at one point he had no desire to live. From his journey working on his own mental health, he’s now an outspoken advocate for therapy. He also helped produce a documentary where many Olympians talk through their struggles with mental health called The Weight of Gold.
Michael used his large platform to bring awareness to issues among athletes that compete at the highest level.
7. UMass Lowell Field Hockey Player, Lindsey Kilpatrick
Lindsey took matters into her own hands by writing a letter to the NCCA board of directors after the continued tragic losses in 2022, urging them to do something about the mental health crisis. She jam-packed this letter with statistics and educated them on what current student-athletes are doing to combat the stigma around mental health. She also pointed out the flaws that currently surround Division 1 athletics and where improvements need to be made. Read the entire letter in this post.
Lindsey is an inspiration that we can all collectively take action and have our voices heard.
8. USC Sprint Hurdler, Omotade “Tade” Ojora
USC came out with its own article on the mental health crisis happening among college athletics during the summer of 2021. Among those interviewed was Tade Ojora, who opened up about struggling with the loss of his grandfather during his first semester at USC. He discussed how helpful seeing a counselor during that time was, and that it’s been so supportive, even today, to continue to talk through issues without any judgement.
Tade showed us that real life can still hit even while playing a collegiate sport, and it’s important to take the time to address it and seek help.
9. Florida State Middle Blocker, Marissa Stockman
As a captain for the Hidden Opponent organization in 2021, Marissa Stockman opened up during a story with FSU sports about how her mental health issues stemmed back to high school. She kept quiet about her struggles for a long time because it just wasn’t talked about in the community. She finally realized she wasn’t alone in her struggles during her sophomore year of college, which ultimately led her to become a mental health advocate.
Marissa’s story is a great reminder that even when we feel alone in our struggles, we never really are.
10. NBA Cleveland Cavaliers star, Kevin Love
Kevin Love has been open about how mental health has always been a struggle and has shared about his fight against depression and anxiety. So when COVID hit and he was forced into isolation, he was extra conscious of the impact this would have on him. He shared with CNBC that this time forced him to turn to therapy, writing in a journal and other coping mechanisms that would help him during loneliness. Kevin created the Kevin Love Fund, dedicated to mental health education and research. His mission is to support others who battle with struggles in their mind.
Kevin’s transparency and struggles during COVID are very relatable, and his mission to fight is powerful.
