{"id":425776,"date":"2020-04-03T08:45:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T15:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=425776"},"modified":"2020-04-03T08:45:29","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T15:45:29","slug":"u-s-olympic-and-paralympic-committee-reveals-mental-health-taskforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-olympic-and-paralympic-committee-reveals-mental-health-taskforce\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Reveals Mental Health Taskforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

The United States Olympics and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Friday announced a Mental Health Taskforce to support Team USA athletes. The 13-member body includes three-time Olympian Allison Schmitt<\/strong> and USA Swimming sports medicine and science director Keenan Robinson.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The group was organized in February to meet on at least a monthly basis but was only announced Friday, its mission taking on greater immediacy as athletes handle the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to 2021<\/a> due to the global coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

The USOPC Mental Health Taskforce includes athletes, coaches and medical\/sports science professionals who are, per the release, \u201ccharged with developing best practices, resources and action plans to support the mental health needs of Team USA athletes \u2013 before, during and after competition \u2013 and advise USOPC staff who frequently engage with athletes, on and off the field of play.\u201d It will also advise and collaborate with the USOPC\u2019s internal mental health working group to implement structures and \u201cpromote a culture in which seeking and delivering mental health support is encouraged throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schmitt is one of the highest profile members of the taskforce, not just for her athletic accomplishments that have yielded eight Olympic medals (four gold), but for her public battle with depression<\/a>. Her mental health struggles had her contemplating ending her career<\/a>, but she is back in the water<\/a> and gunning for the next Olympics<\/a>, setting some of the fastest times of her career while embracing<\/a> a mentoring, almost \u201cmom-like\u201d role<\/a> within Team USA.<\/p>\n

Robinson is familiar with the long arc of Schmitt\u2019s and other swimmers\u2019 battles in and out of the pool. He\u2019s been with USA Swimming since 2016<\/a> and was the head athletic trainer for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams. Before that, he worked with Bob Bowman<\/strong> at North Baltimore Aquatic Club, helping in the development of swimmers like Schmitt and Michael Phelps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The other members of the USOPC Mental Health Taskforce include:<\/p>\n