Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice opens up about her ‘raw emotions’ while watching the Toyko Olympics
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Stephanie Rice
Former Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice has shared an emotional message as she opened up on her mental health. Rice’s message is a testament to the fact that while the journey to the pinnacle in sports is as tough, the path after it is another life-altering experience. The Australian swimmer recently featured in Channel 7’s coverage of the Tokyo Games providing analysis of the action in the pool.
It was watching the Olympic Games that brought the “raw emotions” out for the three-time gold medallist. Rice broke into tears and spent about a month tossing up whether to post the clip to social media. The 33-year-old finally mustered the courage of posting the video as she opened up how she had to “rediscover” herself after stepping away from the sport.
Australian sportspersons rally around Stephanie Rice
Storming into the international scene with two gold medals at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Stephanie Rice broke five world records before bagging three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. While it seemed like the sky is the limit for the budding youngster, a series of shoulder injuries saw her career cut short as she retired from the sport in 2014.
“Watching the Olympics will always probably be tough emotionally for me, because it brings back so many strong emotions, both good and bad,” she wrote on Instagram. “Many athletes and high performers speak about the challenges they face with mental health around transition.
For me, transitioning was f***ing hard … and still is at times. After swimming, I felt lost, depressed, irrelevant and as though I had achieved the pinnacle of my life at 24 and everything moving forward would be far less exciting and special. So in order for me to move on, I had to completely let go of the person I was as an athlete and rediscover myself without the title of being ‘a swimmer’.”
Rice’s heartfelt words struck a chord with several other Australian sporting greats. Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke lent their support to the Olympian. While Clarke left a “blue heart” in the comments, Hayden came up with a warm message for Rice.
“I’ve always been amazed by how God created us all different and special. Each with our own identity and uniqueness, our fingerprints are undeniable evidence of this basic truth,” Hayden wrote.
“Steph your efforts poolside were amazing testimony to your drive and energy to champion the sport but this post and many more to follow I suspect have the power to transform others which makes you a champion of life. Thank you. Sending you good energy and love to keep leading us all in mental fitness.”
Also Read | Which country has won the most medals in Swimming at Tokyo Olympics?
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Anshuman Mahapatra
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