110 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
HEALTH
T
he 2020 Olympics took place in 2021 and, as always, reminded the world of the importance of physical care and friendly competition while showcasing the payoff of the hard work of the world's greatest athletes. Cvu!uijt!zfbs-!uijt!dpowfstbujpo!fyqboefe! into mental health, namely when renowned gymnast Simone Biles, decided to sit out her last competitions in favor of her mental health. While physical health is held to such a high standard in society today, it's often forgotten that taking care of mental health is just as important. Because of the newest generation of athletes, giving mental and physical health an equal platform is taking the spotlight like never before. "Athletes are increasingly taking ownership of their personal narrative and making their own choices about sharing that personal obssbujwf-!Qspgfttps!pg!qtzdijbusz!boe! behavioral science, Le'Roy Reese told NBC News, "There is now a sense of agency among professional athletes that we have not tffo!cfgpsf!xjui!sfhbse!up!uifjs!wpjdft/! Meet some of the young, Black athletes who are taking a stand for the importance of mental health in a world that can be qiztjdbmmz!fyibvtujoh/!
These Black Athletes are Putting Mental Health at the Forefront
By Natalie Rodgers
Naomi Osaka
In a similar decision, tennis phenomenon, Naomi Osaka, decided to drop out of the French Open and Wimbledon last year in favor of her mental well-being in the midst of the intense pressure and scrutiny that comes with her sport. "Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being tvckfdu!up!tusjdu!tbodujpot-!Ptblb!tubufe!jo!ifs! article with Time Magazine , "I have numerous suggestions to offer the tennis hierarchy, but my number one suggestion would be to allow a small number of 'sick days' per year where zpv!bsf!fydvtfe!gspn!zpvs!qsftt!dpnnjunfout! without having to disclose your personal reasons. I believe this would bring sport in line xjui!uif!sftu!pg!tpdjfuz/!Uipvhi!tdsvujoj{fe!cz! those in the tennis industry, Osaka's stand for mental health in an industry of athletic pressure was greatly praised amongst others, gaining worldwide support for her decision. Her withdrawal from the events in collaboration with her incredible talent additionally helped normalize Biles' decision in the 2020 Olympics. Osaka additionally stated, "I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it's still so new to me, and I don't have all the answers. I do hope that people can relate and understand it's OK up!opu!cf!PL-!boe!jut!PL!up!ubml!bcpvu!ju/
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