With a Spotlight on Athletes’ Mental Health, Here’s How Track and Field’s Best Cope

With the Olympics underway, the world’s best athletes across multiple disciplines are once again poised to take over our daily schedules and TV screens. They’re often held up as pinnacles of success and achievement, but their fast times, performances, and medals can overshadow some of the struggles they’ve been through. This year, however, there has been a spotlight on athletes openly discussing their mental health and how it impacts their performance. This includes other runners like Sha’Carri Richardson, Grayson Murphy, and Allie Ostrander—but also big name athletes across other sports like Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka. “Athletes put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform well, and a part of that is perfection,” Val Constien, 25, who finished third in the women’s steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials, told Runner’s World. “And I think the pursuit of perfection can be very damaging, especially if you don’t have the resources to deal with failures and injuries.” [View in Browser]( [Runner's World Logo]( [SHOP]( [RW+ EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [With a Spotlight on Athletes’ Mental Health, Here’s How Track and Field’s Best Cope]( [With a Spotlight on Athletes’ Mental Health, Here’s How Track and Field’s Best Cope]( With the Olympics underway, the world’s best athletes across multiple disciplines are once again poised to take over our daily schedules and TV screens. They’re often held up as pinnacles of success and achievement, but their fast times, performances, and medals can overshadow some of the struggles they’ve been through. This year, however, there has been a spotlight on athletes openly discussing their mental health and how it impacts their performance. This includes other runners like Sha’Carri Richardson, Grayson Murphy, and Allie Ostrander—but also big name athletes across other sports like Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka. “Athletes put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform well, and a part of that is perfection,” Val Constien, 25, who finished third in the women’s steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials, told Runner’s World. “And I think the pursuit of perfection can be very damaging, especially if you don’t have the resources to deal with failures and injuries.” [Read More]( [Alternate text] [Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs Wins the Men’s 100 Meters at the Olympics in 9.80]( [Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs Wins the Men’s 100 Meters at the Olympics in 9.80]( American Fred Kerley finished second in 9.84, and Canadian Andre De Grasse gets third in 9.89 [Read More]( [10 Advanced GPS Watches for Runners]( [10 Advanced GPS Watches for Runners]( High-tech timepieces to help you hit your splits. [Read More]( [Alternate text]   [Alternate text] [Elaine Thompson-Herah Wins the Women’s 100 Meters in an Olympic Record Time]( [Elaine Thompson-Herah Wins the Women’s 100 Meters in an Olympic Record Time]( Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gets silver, and Shericka Jackson takes bronze for a Jamaican medals sweep. [Read More]( [This Medicine Ball Core Workout Goes Beyond the Basics]( [This Medicine Ball Core Workout Goes Beyond the Basics]( Fire up your entire core with five non-traditional moves. [Read more]( [6 Kettlebells to Up Your Home Gym Game]( [6 Kettlebells to Up Your Home Gym Game]( An easy—and affordable—way to workout at home. [Read More]( [Does Your Menstrual Cycle Phase Change How You Should Carb-Load?]( [Does Your Menstrual Cycle Phase Change How You Should Carb-Load?]( We tapped experts and the latest research to find out. [Read More]( [Alternate text]   [Alternate text] RW SHOP The Latest from the Runner's World Collection [Run Strong in Your 40s, 50s, and 60s]( [Run Strong in Your 40s, 50s, and 60s]( [Shop Now]( [In-Training T-Shirt]( [In-Training T-Shirt]( [Shop Now]( [Fuel Up to Race Strong]( [Fuel Up to Race Strong]( [Shop Now]( [Beginner's 10K Plan (6 weeks)]( [Beginner's 10K Plan (6 weeks)]( [Shop Now]( [Alternate text] [Fuel Up to Race Strong](  Follow Us       [Unsubscribe](  [Privacy Notice](  Runnersworld.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019   Â