Every narrative matters.

Trigger Warning: Suicide

I think one thing that isn’t talked about nearly enough is the psychological toll poor sports performance can have on someone. I think often times when we think about psychological issues an athlete might be facing we think of mental blocks, or team dynamics problems. But people don’t talk about the suicidal thoughts and self harm athletes face. When you go from being the best in your sport to below average it’s one of the worst things you can experience as an athlete. It’s really easy to think that you are alone in feeling like this when no one ever talks about it but suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in athletes. Part of my recovery is training myself to believe that my worth doesn’t have to be tied to how I perform in my sport. It’s incredibly difficult but I know I’m not alone in my feelings.