"An athlete never slows down, for there is always pressure to perform and deliver. You may get fatigued, but you are not allowed to burn out and crack under pressure. Very often, we are pitted against our own teammates, our closest friends. And finding the balance between friendship and competition is sometimes difficult."
There is always excitement in watching the Olympics and the favorites in different events from different nations. In 2022, with the uncertainty of Covid's end still lurking in the background, mental health took center stage in the Olympics. We witnessed some of the finest athletes pull out of competition. While some viewers were angry about these athletes' decision, stressing that their spots could have gone to other team members, we will never fully comprehend the reality of their struggles. These athletes spend their entire life training and competing—count the injuries, surgeries, and recoveries, too—for a trip to the podium to receive the elusive Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medal.
The Athlete's Reality
Jean (not her real name), an athlete, was a senior in high school when Covid shut down the world. From that time to her sophomore year in college, Jean felt waves of negative emotions, often relating to her sport. Their on- and off-season training alone was already physically grueling, bringing general exhaustion. But they still must face the academic grind and keep their grades up to stay on track and graduate. And with traveling involved, there is more physical and mental strain to contend with.
"An athlete never slows down, for there is always pressure to perform and deliver. You may get fatigued, but you are not allowed to burn out and crack under pressure. Very often, we are pitted against our own teammates, our closest friends. And finding the balance between friendship and competition is sometimes difficult," Jean shared.
In his Bold Steps podcast, Dr. Mark Jobe said, "You are engineered for a little bit of stress for emergency situations. But when you live with ongoing, constant stress in your life, what begins to happen is that your body, which was not engineered for stress…begins to break down. Your mental capacity starts breaking down. And your spiritual health starts breaking down as well." [1]
Balancing Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Life
Although Jean had some exposure to the concept of mental health, she intentionally started looking for resources via social media to help her understand these new and more complex emotions she was experiencing. Along with helpful sermons and podcasts she listened to and books she read on mental health through the pandemic years, Jean also sought professional help. She wanted to acknowledge her feelings and thoughts and be proactive with the truth about her mental health. Interestingly, these difficult years also became the formative years of her own faith journey. Growing up in a Christian home, she now desired to discover for herself who God is and understand her own beliefs about Jesus.
Jean also talked about the model of self-complexity she learned in one of her psychology classes recently. Here's how the self-complexity model is defined: "According to Patricia Linville's original formulation of the self-complexity model, people differ in the degree to which they maintain a complex, differentiated view of the self. This model assumes that the representation of the self in memory consists of multiple self-aspects, which may be organized in terms of contexts (home, school, with friends), roles (student, athlete), traits (creative, nurturing), behaviors (studying, playing tennis), and time frames (past, present, and future selves)." [2]
More than an Athlete
Realizing she is more than an athlete and has a life outside of her sport, Jean felt freer and became more comfortable with who she is. Jean added, "I learned that the more developed my self-complexity is, the more resilient and adaptable I will be. I do not have to rest solely on one identity—that of being an athlete. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a friend. I am a student. And I can keep growing my list and widening my world as I gain more life experience and embrace new roles."
With years of journaling her feelings, emotions, and thoughts under her belt, Jean started her own podcast, encouraging other young people like herself. Topics such as waves crashing over someone like problems, a poem, or a prayer created a following.
Additionally, she joined an international youth vision trip in 2022 and found herself excited to step up her game with a new plan. Jean and another athlete started a small campus club to provide a safe place for other athletes to enjoy "community, rest, and conversations without weakness." When asked what rest means to her, Jean said, "It's not really about stopping. I realized rest can take many forms, including moving. It's more about finding your solid ground, your firm footing, so you can quit struggling." Jesus said,
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30
Athlete or not, we don't need emotional and mental distress, which can sometimes lead to addiction to numb our pain. Nor do we want to feel helpless to the point of committing suicide. Jesus's invitation is to depend on Him and trust Him with our disappointments, heartbreaks, and pressures.
Jean is almost done with college. She continues to play her sport with dedication, fully aware that there is a championship to win for her college every time. But she also knows better. Giving her best is God's mandate! And she desires to walk alongside young athletes, providing them encouragement and a healthy outlet for their mental health struggles. Prayerfully, Jean's performance within and outside her sport impacts others for Jesus—the ultimate, eternal prize that will never fade!
Additional Resources:
[1] Jobe, M. (Host), 2023, May 22. Resting in the Lord—Part 1 [Audio podcast episode]. In Bold Steps with Dr. Mark Jobe. Moody Radio.
[2] https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/self/self-complexity/, accessed June 19, 2023
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Morgan Sarkissian
Luisa Collopy is an author, speaker and a women’s Bible study teacher. She also produces Mula sa Puso (From the Heart) in Tagalog (her heart language), released on FEBC Philippines stations. Luisa loves spending time with her family over meals and karaoke!
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