Michael Phelps has a story to tell, and it’s not about his 23 Olympic gold medals.
A few years ago, Phelps opened up about his struggles with mental health. It was shocking – how could a young, fit and incredibly successful person struggle with his mental health? That’s the problem: there is a stigma associated with mental health. Now officially retired from his swimming career, Phelps is on a mission to change that perspective.
See Phelps in 2021
The ticket sale started, the crowds rushed to purchase a voucher and within an hour the seats were sold out. Waiting for the event seemed unbearable, as the New Albany community was ready to hear the athlete’s story. Then came a curveball - COVID-19.
Phelps was scheduled to speak at the New Albany Community Foundation’s Jefferson Series on May 7, but the presentation is postponed to 2021. A new date will be determined.
“We believe this is in the best interest of the health and safety of our audience,” says Craig Mohre, president of the NACF.
The presentation is now scheduled for the 2020-2021 season and will still occur at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. For pre-purchased ticket questions and information, visit www.mccoycenter.org.
A Mental Health Journey
Watching Phelps do the butterfly stroke is like watching a professional ice skater land a triple axel – it’s fascinating, nerve-racking and rewarding to witness someone excel so phenomenally and beat the competition.
Over the course of his 16-year Olympic journey, Phelps was so successful that he currently holds the record of the most gold medals in Olympic history. Many of us can recall the video of Phelps winning his eight of eight events during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, as he turned around to check the results and cheering in the lane while splashing water, hollering and smiling ear to ear.
But underneath lurked emotions too many of us are familiar with – depression and anxiety.
In a recent Washington Post article, Phelps shared his story in light of a lawsuit against the U.S. Olympic Committee for mishandling mental health issues. The suit was filed by William Moreau, the former vice president of medicine for the U.S Olympics & Paralympic Committee, who claims he was fired for standing up for athletes.
Journalist Sally Jenkins asked Phelps how Olympic leaders responded when he announced his struggles with depression. He took a long, intentional pause. “That’s what I got from them,” he said: total silence.
The lawsuit is still underway, and Phelps says he hopes it brings light to the grave situation that occurs in sports organizations. Supporting the suit is just a sliver of his efforts, though.
Phelps appeared in the 2017 documentary Angst in which he opened up about getting bullied at a young age and experiencing mental health problems. He works with Talkspace, an online therapy resource, and created a campaign about getting help. And even though the Michael Phelps Foundation works to “promote healthy, active lives, especially for children,” having a healthy life also means addressing mental health issues, and that’s what Phelps’ post-swimming career is all about.
Phelps told NBC’s TODAY in 2018 that, in 2014, he “didn’t want to be alive.” After addressing his problems and working with a therapist, he found hope and now wants to break the stigma – especially for kids and young people. Suicide was the second largest cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 in 2017, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
“I’m now addressing these issues that I have and I’m openly talking about it,” Phelps said in the TODAY interview. “(We’re) really trying to take the stigma away, especially for kids.”
Continuing the Conversation
Clearly, the 34-year-old is staying busy after his swimming career. He’s still bringing light to a topic that is stigmatized and rarely addressed in businesses, communities or families, which is the exact goal of the Jefferson Series in recent years.
New Albany recognizes the power of Phelps’ voice and ability to resonate with adults, who may also experience mental health problems but are unsure of how to address them, and with young students, who probably watched him swim like a superhuman during the Olympics yet still shows vulnerability.
“We believe he’ll connect with everyone, especially the students,” Mohre says. “He has made removing the stigma around mental health a priority and that’s our objective, so we believe he’s a perfect fit.”
As for the tickets selling out in one hour, Mohre isn’t surprised.
“Clearly he generated a lot of excitement in the community. People want to hear his perspective,” he says. “Most importantly, we believe he will advance the shared vision we have for wellness and well-being in our community.”
To learn more about the Jefferson Series, read It’s Time to Talk.
Lydia Freudenberg is an editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
