When it comes to sporting success stories anyone would be hard pressed to find elite athletes more impressive than Simone Biles, Bryony Page and Holly Bradshaw. But while the trio are great competitors and multiple medal winners, they are also notable for their openness about the mental health of athletes.
In summer 2021 Biles withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team final at the Tokyo Olympics saying she had lost her air sense and admitted she “was still scared to do gymnastics” months later. The pole vaulter Bradshaw voiced concerns earlier this year about damaging herself in the pursuit of sporting achievement, while the British gymnast Page has recounted struggles with “lost skills syndrome”, which, she says, fuelled anxiety leading up to the Olympics in Rio.
