It's a stark reminder of the importance of mental wellbeing
New Zealand Cycling organization has pledged to review mental health support for all athletes – following the death of Olympian Olivia Podmore. Podmore’s death was announced on Monday. Earlier the same day, Podmore made an Instagram post about the pressures of competition.
Speaking at a conference, Cycling New Zealand CEO Jacques Landry said his main concern was to support the wellbeing of those dealing with this loss, Reuters reported. He added that they would be looking at whether or not there were ‘missteps’ in their processes.
In a statement, NZ Olympic Committee added: "We offer our deepest condolences to family, friends and others in the NZ community who are grieving this loss. We are providing wellbeing support for members of her team and the wider team as we return home from Tokyo."
There’s been a renewed focus on the mental health of athletes over the past few months. Earlier this year, tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open, quickly followed by gymnast Simone Biles’ exit from the Tokyo Olympics.
Speaking to HRD, Jack Green, double Olympian and head of performance at Champion Health, reiterated the importance of mental wellbeing in the workplace.
“As the 2021 Olympics approach, it’s a timely opportunity to take a look at how workplace health is absolutely crucial to performance and wellbeing,” he explained. “I strongly believe that wellbeing is the foundation of high performance. We are all high-performers and we’re all striving to be the best we can be. We’re also all human beings - we all have our wellbeing to consider.
“For too long wellbeing and performance have been viewed as being on opposite ends of the spectrum, when in reality they go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other.”
