PopeLando

October 10th, 2022 at 1:13 PM ^

I wasn't a huge fan of Phelps (the person, not the athlete - dude was fucking incredible) until he started speaking out about his struggles.

But him confronting the stigma of getting help for mental health issues was powerful. And athletes are definitely at risk in a big way: when you're a high level athlete, and it all goes away for one reason or another, it must feel like a big chunk of your identity goes away as well. Folks have cracked for less.

 

MgoblueAF

October 10th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^

I used to hang out w/ him at Touchdowns Bar my senior year, and he was always a really nice, humble guy. He'd get free drinks occasionally and share them w/ his friends. Since getting diagnosed w/ ADHD 2 mo. ago, I've been reading a lot of books about how he and his mom developed creative solutions to keep him interested in school, including changing math problems to be swimming-centric. Depression and ADHD are very frequently co-morbid, sometimes ADHD leading to the depression because low self-esteem, and overcoming all that has impressed me the most about him. 

JHumich

October 10th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^

iirc Harbaugh credits him with convincing the team about sleep quality and hydration

Sometimes it's those little things that add up to the difference at the world-class level.