Snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim gets real about her mental health struggles and triumphs

[Snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim gets real about her mental health struggles and triumphs]( When world champion gymnast Simone Biles opened up out about her struggles with mental health after dropping out of the Tokyo Olympics last summer, the world heard something we rarely hear from superstar athletes: I'm human, too. It's easy to see someone who excels at the top of their field, doing things no one has done before, as superhuman. We even use that word to describe their feats sometimes, but it's important that we remember every person is a complex mix of mind, body and spirit. We know it takes an enormous amount of resilience and mental fortitude to make it to an international podium in any sport, but no one is immune to mental health ups and downs. And the top of the podium is sometimes where athletes feel those ups and downs the most intensely. At 21, Chloe Kim just won her second Olympic gold medal for the U.S. in the snowboard halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics, becoming the first woman to take home back-to-back gold medals in the sport. But after she won in PyeongChang in 2018, she began to question if it was all worth it. In fact, at one point, she even threw her first gold medal in the trash at her parents' house. [Read the Story]( [Dolly Parton's Dollywood will pay tuition costs for all employees to 'pursue a new dream']( Disneyland might be named the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but the employees at Dollywood can make an educated claim to fame of their own. Herschend Enterprises, partner owner of Dollywood and the nation’s largest privately owned themed attractions operations, announced on Feb 8 that it would cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for employees to pursue further education. Considering that the popular Smoky Mountains theme park currently has 11,000 employees (including seasonal and part-time workers) that is quite a feat. The initiative, Herschend’s GROW U., offers more than 100 programs, many that focus on high-demand fields like business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing. The company will also provide employees up to $5,250 per year for additional programs in fields including engineering, hospitality, art design and human resources. Needless to say, this kind of financial support can be life-changing. [Read the Story]( [Buy crafts directly from artisans around the world, get $7 off any purchase with code IMPACT7]( At Upworthy, we're on a mission to share the best of humanity with the world. As part of that mission, we've launched Upworthy Market – a shop for artisan goods from across the globe. Every purchase you make here directly supports the people making these beautiful, handmade crafts. Check it out and shop for goods filled with the power of community and the spirit of connection. The Upworthy Market is powered by Novica, one of the world’s largest artisan marketplaces, directly connecting artisans to values-driven customers. Since inception, they've sent over $100M in funds to artisans, providing vital income to village communities around the world and helping to preserve artistic traditions for generations to come. [Check out the Market]( [Canadian doctors can now prescribe national park visits to improve their patients' health]( Humans didn’t evolve to stare at screens for an average of 10 hours a day. We evolved to hunt and gather on the plains, not to walk on asphalt or spend our days in high-rise buildings changing the colors of pixels on a computer screen. So it’s understandable that modern humans suffer in some way or another from a lack of connection to nature. We may not feel a conscious disconnect from nature but it definitely has a negative impact on our mental and physical well-being. We know this because being in nature has shown to have an incredible therapeutic value that researchers are just beginning to understand. Health officials in Canada are starting to take note of these benefits and have launched a new program that allows its doctors to prescribe free annual passes to the country's national parks to improve their patients’ well-being. [Read the Story]( [People are sharing the best stories of the kindest things their pets have done for them]( People and their pets are almost always a winning combo, but pets going above and beyond the call of duty for their humans is the best. Reddit users are sharing the kindest things their furry friends have done for them, from emotional support to literally saving their lives, and if this doesn't make you say, "Awww" you might want to get your heart checked. It started with someone sharing a screenshot of a story from Sarah Booth: "My parents had a dog named Charlie who was absolutely terrified of the vacuum cleaner. But after I was born, any time my mother vacuumed, Charlie would stand steadfast between me and the vacuum cleaner. 'Trembling in every limb,' my mother says, but determined to protect baby-me from the monster." Aww, right? Then people started sharing their own stories of amazing pet savior behavior. [Read the Story]( Find us on the World Wide Web: [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Copyright © 2022 GOOD | Upworthy, All rights reserved. 1370 N St Andrews Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028 You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.