Olympic snowboarder Shaun White on being vulnerable with mental health: 'It's not a weakness' (via CNBCMakeIt)
in 2016, which were settled out of court a year later for an undisclosed sum.
Throughout it all, he dealt with pressure to constantly win — especially after securing his first Olympic gold medal as a teenager. When he was younger, White said, he thought that voicing any mental health struggles would be seen as "weakness," or that he wasn't a fierce enough competitor. Especially in professional sports, he said, people are often taught to "grit your teeth" and "bear through" their challenges, because it'll all be worth it in the end. But that mentality changed for White when he heard swimmer Michael Phelps — the most decorated Olympian in history, with 28 medals — speak openly about his ownEven though Phelps competed in a different sport, White said, the experience of processing huge amounts of pressure was instantly relatable.
"It takes so much courage to actually talk about it. It's not a weakness," White said. Rather, he posited vulnerability as a strength, valuing statements like, "I'm overwhelmed right now. I'm feeling this way and things are spiraling. I'm not doing good."
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