Why Simone Biles' Mental Health Message Is Vital For Aspiring Athletes

Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles is all anyone can talk about. The US gymnastics champion who is known for her creative floor routines and flawless balance beam performances pulled out of the women's team final, alongside the individual all-around final after scoring her lowest Olympic vault score so far.

Speaking in her post-vault routine interview, the young athlete spoke out about her mental health: "After the performance I did, I just didn't want to go on. I have to focus on my mental health. I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now."

Bravely speaking up about the effects of sport on not only an athletes physical strength and wellness but also mental wellness has become a talking point of this year's Olympic games, sending a message out to not only her young and impressionable fans but young aspiring athletes all over the globe.

Speaking about the pressure that Olympians are under, Biles used her platform to give viewers an insight into the world of highly competitive sport, and the public demand that comes with the fight to win gold.

America's medal-winning champion described the experience as "The weight of the world" on her shoulders, revealing that athletes no longer only feel pressure when being judged in the arena, but also on social media platforms such as Twitter where their inboxes become flooded.

After revealing this powerful statement, "We're not just athletes. We're people at the end of the day and sometimes you just have to step back", Biles has started an important conversation that will greatly impact the future of competitive sport.

As the world continues to have a divided opinion on her stand up for mental health awareness, let's look into why mental health in the sporting world is so stigmatised, and why Simone Biles using her platform to speak up may be the turning point aspiring athletes have been waiting for.

Who Is Simone Biles?

Simone Biles is a 24-year-old, four-time Olympic champion that over the years has led the USA to victory in competitive gymnastic trials all over the globe. As a natural daredevil, who taught herself to flip off of mailboxes at only six years old, she was tipped to go far from a young age thanks to her positive and resilient attitude.

And far she went, after scooping up a record for the first-ever female gymnast to win three world all-around titles at once, while also making history as the first black gymnast to hold the title of a world all-around champion.

There's no wonder that there was a great amount of pressure weighing on this two-time Olympian and six-time medalist as she entered only her second Olympic games this year.

As a member of the young, digitally native generation, 24-year-old, Biles is also all over social media, with over 1.6 million Twitter followers who she speaks candidly about her journey throughout her sporting career.

Her move to pull out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games to prioritise her mental health hasn't only been talked about in the news and within the Olympic village, but all over Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where her young and impressionable fans see a statement of defiance and strength as she stands up for a cause that has been so stigmatised in the sporting world.

The question is, why?

Mental Health's Stigma In Sport

Mental Health's stigma in the sporting world is nothing new. In fact, if you look it up online, you'll struggle to find any real data on the link between athletics and mental health conditions, because the subject just isn't talked about enough.

Up to 35% of elite athletes suffer from a mental health crisis at least once within their career, manifesting as a number of conditions, ranging from stress and burnout to eating disorders, anxiety and depression.

With such a large percentage of the sporting world often suffering in silence, the question is, why is it so stigmatised to speak up?

Sports Medicine Researcher, Gary Souter, suggests in his Narrative Review: Men, Mental Health and Elite Sport, that the stigma that silences suffering athletes is "fear of weakness", claiming that: "There remains a view that athletes who seek help for psychological problems may be seen as weak."

He goes on to suggest that although the pressure of performance and the physical and psychological demands of a sporting environment actually puts athletes at a higher risk for developing mental health disorders, this factor is quickly swept under the rug by most professionals who chose to stay silent until it either becomes too much, or their career has come to an end.

Are Men More At Risk?

Showing strength and determination in the sporting world is very important for most athletes, which is often interpreted as masculinity for many male figures in the spotlight. In a society where toxic masculinity is still prevalent in the daily life of a large majority of men, this mantra of 'show strength not emotion' is only intensified within the sporting world.

(Source: IPSOS)

Studies have shown that not only are men less likely to seek help for a mental health crisis, but they are three times more likely to commit suicide than women.

Luckily, things are starting to change. Not only has the media stepped up and started representing both male and female mental health disorders within film, television and the news, but famous sporting champions have begun to step forward in the last few years to change the narrative surrounding mental health.

How Are Top Athletes Using Their Platform To Break The Stigma?

Simone Biles is just the tip of the iceberg for the recent messages both practising and former athletes are sending out to their audience. For example, 28 Olympic medalist, Micheal Phelps has recently spoken out about his own struggles with depression while competing as a champion swimmer for America's Olympic team. Using his important statement of 'it's ok, not to be ok" to educate young and aspiring athletes, especially young boys, on the importance of prioritising their mental health is just the beginning of a new narrative surrounding the future of competitive sport.

Phelps has not only spoken out but used his platform to create his own foundation, called the Michael Phelps Foundation, where he actively adds free wellness lessons and resources to the website for aspiring swimmers that are following in his footsteps.

Younger athletes such as Simone Biles are using their platforms to target their younger, digitally native audience. Using social media platforms such as Twitter is vital for the younger generation who rely on online opinion leaders to lead trends and culture changes in the world of Generation Z.

What Can Young Athletes Do To Prioritise Their Well-being?

For young and aspiring athletes, the key to success is to balance both physical and mental wellbeing when training and competing as they move up in the ranks. Whether this is done by simply updating their protective gear or taking well-earned breaks when they feel overwhelmed, both physical and mental wellbeing is as important as each other. For instance, cyclists and runners should shop online for a pair of effective sports glasses that protect vision while exercising.

Another important step to take is to keep talking and speak up. De-stigmatising the topic of mental health in the pool, on the pitch and within the training arena is the path that champions such as Simone Biles have paved for the future of competitive athletics.

Young athletes should be encouraged to talk to their peers about the stress that sport can invoke and trainers should be encouraged to start those conversations. Redefining the meaning of the word 'strength' is vital for both aspiring young sportsmen and women and will change the future of sport as we know it.

Sporting isn't only about maintaining physical fitness. Those who learn to prioritise their mental wellness are more likely to be hyper focused, calmer when faced with challenges and in a stronger headspace to win their desired titles.

Is Mental Health Awareness Changing The Future Of Sport?

These messages are potentially lifesaving for young athletes. As they head into the sporting world, having idols to look up to is important when training and practising to enter the spotlight. With more and more opinion leaders and former champions paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse sporting ground, the opportunities are endless for aspiring athletes and the stigmas that surround mental health in athletics are well on their way to being broken.