National Mental Health Awareness Month: USOPC to Celebrate With “We Are Team USA” Campaign

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Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced its commitment to join the nationwide movement to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2020 through its “We Are Team USA” campaign. The promotion of “in this together” is focused on raising awareness around mental health resources and needs within the Team USA community and promoting a culture that encourages proactively seeking and delivering mental health support for everyone.

“Mental health is of the utmost importance right now,” said Bahati VanPelt, USOPC chief of athlete services. “Given the profound impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games, it’s critical that we empower Team USA athletes – and all who support them – to seek assistance and understand how to access available resources. Engaging the entire Team USA community is essential to elevating this conversation so, together, we can all do our part to foster well-being.”

Mental health awareness has become a big topic of conversation in the last five years after many notable athletes have come forward with their struggles including Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt. Phelps, who came forward with his mental health struggles in 2015, has been a huge advocate for ending the stigma surrounding it. He most recently did an interview with NBC Sports where he prayed that the Olympics being pushed back to 2021 would not lead to an increase in athlete suicides.

“I really, really hope we don’t see an increase in athlete suicide rates because of this. Because the mental health component is by far the biggest thing here. This postponement is uncharted waters. We’ve never seen this before. It was the right decision, but it breaks my heart for the athletes.”

“Your whole life is pointed toward this moment,” Michael Phelps tells NBC. “And then this huge curveball. `Nope, you’ve got to wait another year.’ If this had happened to me, I would be completely flipping out at the uncertainty. I mean, speechless. Like, is this a bad dream?”

“All of this is so hard to wrap your head around. I just feel really badly for all the athletes who have made it this far. On the one hand, I’m relieved that they’re getting another year, and rightfully so. But the waiting also makes it a lot more difficult.”

Full Release via USOPC:

The USOPC launched its digital campaign at TeamUSA.org/MentalHealth, which will serve as a centralized hub for mental health resources in May and beyond. The website features available resources for athletes, coaches and National Governing Bodies, tips from USOPC sport psychologists, and references to free community services as the nation adapts to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The USOPC’s “We are Team USA” campaign launched during the global pandemic and following the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in an effort to bring hope and inspiration to Team USA athletes and the country during this challenging time. Promotion of “in this together” reinforces and builds on this community and aims to foster healthy dialogue around mental health and unify Team USA. The month of May will feature blogs from athletes, features on athlete mental health journeys, Q&As with industry professionals, articles on mental health strategies and best practices, and public-facing mental health wellness challenges. Athletes and fans are encouraged to join the digital conversation on Team USA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as TeamUSA.org.

Most importantly, the mental health awareness campaign will focus on educating and connecting the Team USA athlete community. This includes in-depth explanations on available resources, open dialogue among athletes, webinars with USOPC service providers and Mental Health Taskforce members, and communication regarding Athlete Career and Education resources.

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