By Sam Dehority — 2013
Sean Harrison wasn’t an athlete. Sure, he’s 6’6″ and 200-plus pounds, but flat feet and a lack of coordination kept him from utilizing his size, while a steady diet of Bojangles’ fast food and soda kept him on the couch.
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Injuries, while hopefully infrequent, are often an unavoidable part of sport participation. While most injuries can be managed with little to no disruption in sport participation and other activities of daily living, some impose a substantial physical and mental burden.
Some people harbor the illusion that rest is a luxury they do not have time for, but the reality is that rest is a necessity.
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With each diagnosis, knowing her life hung in the balance, she was “stunned, then anguished” and astonished by “how much energy it takes to get from the bad news to actually starting on the return path to health.”
Tennis star Naomi Osaka and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles were part of the movement in 2021 by athletes to amplify the need to pay closer attention to mental health issues which have inspired millions of athletes on all levels of play.
The world’s best gymnast doesn’t need to look invincible.
In the documentary “The Weight of Gold,” Phelps presents a stark picture of the mental wear and tear Olympians endure.
Osaka’s mental health challenges are nothing new in her isolating sport. What is new is the acceptance she’ll face—and the paths back—if she takes a prolonged break.
In the past few weeks, my journey took an unexpected path but one that has taught me so much and helped me grow. I learned a couple of key lessons.
Through the size of her platform, however, and her decision to choose well-being over pursuit of a Grand Slam title, Osaka offers the promise of bringing mental health awareness—both inside and outside of sports—to an entirely new level.
The unspoken truths of physically and emotionally injured athletes.