The unseen challenges of competition
As Paris Games begin, elite athletes and experts talk about the mental strain of constantly aiming for the top
Ιt was her moment. But the fear of failure held her back. She would have preferred to be anywhere but there. Just before she took her place on the starting block at the European Aquatics Championships in 2021, Greek swimmer Theodora (Nora) Drakou broke down in tears. “I didn’t want to go out,” she recalls. “I thought there was no reason to compete, that I wasn’t good enough, that everyone would beat me. I felt like I had hit rock bottom in that race.”
This was not a momentary outburst. She carried the accumulated fatigue of countless competitions since her teenage years. She had considered quitting, especially after her participation in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. “I told myself back then that enough was enough, that this sport was making me unhappy, and I didn’t want it anymore,” she says. However, she didn’t abandon the pools. She needed a break but worried about being forgotten. She felt she had to stay in the public eye, show that she was in shape, and achieve new records to avoid losing sponsorships. She couldn’t let her foot off the gas, even for a moment.
Taboos
The 32-year-old swimmer has competed in eight World Championships and seven European Championships, winning two silver medals in the 50m backstroke and freestyle at the latest event last month. She is now set to compete in Paris, marking her fourth appearance at the Olympic Games. Her continuous journey has not been without challenges. Drakou now openly discusses mental health issues in competitive sports, a topic that was once taboo for most in the field.
“In the past, if you weren’t feeling well, they would tell you ‘stop whining, athletes are tough, they are heroes,’” she says. “Even athletes themselves might have believed that you shouldn’t appear vulnerable, that this is the nature of the job. You can prepare your body to 100%, but if your mind isn’t ready, you won’t perform.”
In recent years, both abroad and in Greece, more elite athletes are sharing their experiences of inner doubt that accompanies their solitary preparation. Mental health issues are also a concern for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has prepared relevant manuals, a dedicated helpline and other support resources for athletes competing in Paris. Additionally, each country has been asked to provide a sports psychologist for the Olympic Village.
UK psychiatrist Alan Currie has sat on the IOC working group for mental health since 2018. Speaking to Kathimerini, he explains that athletes may have unique talents in certain areas but, emotionally, they are no different from the rest of the world. Besides worries about performance, achieving their goals, or dealing with an injury, they must cope with everyday stresses that anyone might face. They have relationships, some are parents, and others may be experiencing financial difficulties. They are not invincible.
Frosso Patsou, sports psychologist at the national track and field team of Greece, has been working with ten athletes who will compete in Paris this year. “For some, participating in the Olympics is a challenge; for others, it’s a burden,” she says. Some may view the event as a grand celebration, while others may wish for the process to end as quickly as possible.
Side effects
How each athlete experiences or perceives the Games depends on their past journey, the effort they’ve put into qualifying, or the difficulties they’ve faced in achieving their goals. Not everyone reacts the same way.
‘Even athletes themselves might have believed that you shouldn’t appear vulnerable, that this is the nature of the job’
“An athlete has tolerance for pain and difficulty; otherwise, they wouldn’t be a champion. But enduring and persevering doesn’t mean there aren’t side effects. It depends on the circumstances each person is experiencing, their age, their training environment, and their personality on how they will react,” says Patsou.
She is well aware of what elite athletes go through, having excelled with the national relay team in two Olympic Games, Sydney and Rio. However, at that time, mental health issues were not as prominent as they are today. “We didn’t talk about it because it was considered a weakness. We felt that no one would understand us,” she remembers. “Of course, the problem would surface, but not verbally. It manifested in behaviors. An athlete experiencing depression or a mental struggle might show irritability or inconsistency. The response was that ‘if you can’t cope, it’s okay, someone else will take your place who will succeed.’”
In her career, she underwent five surgeries to overcome injuries. “No one asked you then how you felt, what you were thinking, or what was troubling you. I would go into surgery, and the attitude was ‘good luck, and we’ll talk again once you’re better.’ There was no concern for the emotional world of the athlete,” she points out. However, she clarifies that there were some coaches back then with a different approach. They would take on the financial burden of some athletes or stand by them like a second family. But they were the exceptions.
Training solo
Sometimes, internal doubt isn’t triggered by an injury but comes after a success. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, Athanasios (Alkis) Kynigakis secured fifth place in the 10km marathon swimming event. However, the aftermath wasn’t as smooth. A fellow swimmer who had accompanied him during training withdrew from the sport. The young swimmer was now alone, had to confront himself, and struggled to manage the sense of isolation.
“When you swim with fellow athletes who have identical goals, training becomes more enjoyable and lighter. On tough days, you support each other. Otherwise, your mind has to keep you going,” he says. “It was incredibly difficult for me to spend so many hours training without talking to anyone. Due to the pressure and because it was new for me, I broke down at one point; my body couldn’t handle it anymore. I was suffering mentally and couldn’t cope with the training.”
He managed to overcome this when he began training under the guidance of Spyridon (Spyros) Gianniotis, a silver medalist in the Rio Olympics. As he explains, being alongside Gianniotis changed his habits, made him feel more stable mentally and provided support. In a few days, Kynigakis will compete for a new achievement in Paris.
This will be the first Olympic Games for 23-year-old Emmanouela Katzouraki. The shooting athlete notes that the path to qualification and distinction is quite mentally exhausting. “It’s difficult to see your efforts often not yielding the desired results. Each time, we give a piece of ourselves to the competition, continually going through self-criticism and self-evaluation,” she says. “Sometimes the disappointment or simply the fatigue is overwhelming. Constant motivation and a good environment are necessary for the process to be enjoyable.”
Patsou observes that younger athletes are now more willing to share what concerns them. “They weigh the human aspect as well as the athletic one,” she says. For Katzouraki, it is important that the discussion about mental health has opened up. “In the past, if you felt the pressure was unbearable, they thought you weren’t cut out for it. There were no specialists to talk to and help you, no understanding. Now, at least to a certain extent, there is room for such conversations and support for those who seek it,” she says.
One of the first public statements came from Greek-American long-distance runner Alexi Pappas, who in 2021 spoke to the New York Times about her struggle with mental illness. “I opened a door for other athletes to accept and share that they also struggled and to view what happens to them as an injury that needs to be managed,” Pappas said in an interview with Kathimerini at the time.
Lack of confidence
Drakou did not enjoy her previous three Olympic appearances. She was focused on the competition, and the other days seemed to pass by unnoticed, as if she were not living them. She also bore the weight of others’ expectations. Hearing that people would be watching her on TV increased her pressure, making her feel she had to perform better. “In sports, the most important thing is to build your self-confidence. I lost it for a decade. Whatever I heard affected me. Comments, along with negative results, would bring me down mentally, and I would approach the competition with a huge burden,” she says.
At one point, while she was in good training shape, her body in the pool would change, becoming as hard as marble. She sought the advice of a sports psychologist, who helped her unlock her mind and enjoy her daily routine again. The root of the problem was not training-related but came from elsewhere.
Despite the difficult moments and injuries, Drakou remained in the pools and is now ready to enjoy these Olympic Games. “My love for the sport kept me going. I adore the adrenaline on the starting block before the horn sounds. It gives me life,” she says. “My environment, my coach and team, my family, were very supportive. They were like big wings that embraced me after every success or failure. They gave me the strength to rise again.”
