When US gymnast Simone Biles decided to pull out of the team and all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics, fans across the world were stunned to learn it was related to issues surrounding her mental health.
It was a move tennis star Naomi Osaka also made a couple of months earlier when she withdrew from the French Open, citing similar concerns.
Since then, more athletes have stepped forward to say they, too, want to focus on their mental health, whether it's by taking themselves off social media or stepping away from their sport altogether.
Biles and Osaka are elite athletes, so the importance of what they've done cannot be underplayed. They have cast the spotlight on mental health, and putting yourself first, something relatively unheard of in the demanding world of competitive sports.
Sure, most people don’t have to worry about tumbling on a 10-centimetre-wide piece of wood or taking to the courts for hours to practise their backspin, but that’s the thing about mental health – it affects everyone. Not everyone is a world champion athlete, but the pressure to be successful in life applies to most of us.
So if a top-tier athlete can admit they need to take a step back from one of the world’s biggest sporting events, which they’ve likely trained their entire life for, to prioritise themselves and their mental health, what should this tell the rest of us?
Too often, it seems we’re focused on “the grind” – getting caught up in pushing ourselves in our daily lives to the point where we are left feeling exhausted and worn down, only to repeat the process all over again the next day. It's almost as though we wear burnout as a badge of honour and, in the long-term, this can be detrimental physically, emotionally and, yes, mentally.
But seeing people such as Biles and Osaka open up about their struggles should serve as a reminder that we're not alone. It's OK to use your annual leave, it's OK to take a lunch break, it's OK to use your sick days.
After all, the coronavirus pandemic has spared no one, whether you're an Olympian in training or someone working a 9-to-5 office job. Those feelings of loneliness or isolation, or fear for the future, have plagued people all the same.
That path towards opening up and admitting we feel something is wrong can be a difficult one, though. There is still a long way to go in banishing stigma surrounding mental health, but Biles and Osaka and others are at least helping to get that conversation started.
The Tokyo Olympics has been a platform for so many inspiring moments so far – even the ones that didn't happen. Let's hope this means mental health, not just in sports, will finally be taken more seriously.
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The%20new%20Turing%20Test
%3Cp%3EThe%20Coffee%20Test%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EA%20machine%20is%20required%20to%20enter%20an%20average%20American%20home%20and%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20make%20coffee%3A%20find%20the%20coffee%20machine%2C%20find%20the%20coffee%2C%20add%20water%2C%20find%20a%20mug%20and%20brew%20the%20coffee%20by%20pushing%20the%20proper%20buttons.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProposed%20by%20Steve%20Wozniak%2C%20Apple%20co-founder%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
