It is no surprise to anyone that professional sport is inseparable from monumental physical and mental challenges. High-profile athletes across disciplines have spoken up on how excruciating training, ongoing lifestyle restrictions, social isolation, and an inevitable race against time have affected their mental well-being during and after their sports careers. Most of these struggles are, to a degree, unavoidable, but an impossible standard of never-ending endurance that athletes have to face outside of practice and championships has undoubtedly made them even harder. The New York Times article Simone Biles Rejects a Long Tradition of Stoicism in Sports (2021) comments on the standard and the way American gymnast Simone Biles rejected it during the Summer Olympic Games 2020. It explores the tense and complex question of emotional vulnerability in big sports and the cost of such vulnerability.
Right at the beginning, the article acknowledges the cultural shift toward acceptance of mental struggles both in general and particularly in athletes. An athlete of Simone Biles’ stature ten years ago, or even five years ago, might have been hesitant to admit that she battled with pressure, much less withdraw in the middle of an Olympic competition. Simone’s decision to quit the largest international event in the sports world has made her a poster figure of the relevant yet uncomfortable conversation. Success in sports, as well as in many other fields, is impossible without self-discipline and willingness to struggle. Yet, which point is considered a respectable place to pause and allow oneself to recover? After her pivotal decision, Simone has experienced online backlash with accusations of lack of patriotism and strength of spirit. It is therefore clear that for many people the overall result remains significantly more important than the mental well-being of an athlete. Such a setup, however, is an almost certain recipe for an eventual tragedy, a burn-out, or even worse, that could have been avoided if one’s mental needs had been taken seriously early enough.
The article proceeds to recite the comments of Sian Beilock, the president of Barnard College, who studies the dynamic between outside pressures and the minds of athletes and business people. According to Beilock, the growing willingness of athletes to speak up proves that mental health issues touch everyone. Biles, Osaka, and others’ open admissions are, according to Beilock, essential in the ongoing endeavor to destigmatize the questions of mental health issues (Longam, 2021). If a renowned and successful athlete can experience anxiety, depression, and struggle with pressure in general, then regular people should not put unrealistic expectations on themselves.
It can be devastating for an athlete to perform poorly at the most anticipated and public moment of their career. As such, admitting the pressure and taking a step back might be a smart decision not only within the moment but for the long-term trajectory of an athlete’s ongoing path in their chosen sport. Sustainable lasting success and consistent performance are only possible when a person recognizes and accepts their limits. There is no shame in needing the help of others, as well as there is bravery in admitting the fact and adjusting current actions. At the end of the day, unnecessary endurance does not necessarily reflect greater resolve within championships. As everyone has their resources, it is essential to utilize them in optimal ways without ignoring the basic needs of the human psyche.