Fear of the Unknown: Locked-down Athletes Face Mental Health Risks
2020-04-20
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1When Olympic swimmer Kyle Chalmers completed his final training period before the coronavirus shutdown,
2he felt great sadness and fear of what was to come.
3Fear does not come easily to the 21-year-old Australian.
4He has undergone two heart operations since winning the 100-meter freestyle event at the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil.
5His personal interests include raising crocodiles and snakes.
6It took some "processing" to accept the fact that his dream of defending his Olympic victory had been delayed.
7But what Chalmers fears most is the idea of not being in a swimming pool for six months -- the length of time the swimming center where he trains may be closed.
8Chalmers is one of thousands of high-level athletes whose dreams have been put on hold because of the 12-month delay of the Tokyo Olympics.
9Many of them are also in lockdown, with little to no ability to train for an unknown length of time.
10Chalmers said, "Unknowns are quite challenging, especially for athletes whose days are mapped out from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to sleep."
11Losing that structure, he added, is every athlete's fear.
12Health experts warn that a long period of isolation could affect the mental health of many people, especially those who might link self-worth to competition.
13Caroline Anderson is a mental health expert who works with professional and Olympic athletes.
14"That sudden stopping of the sport, from a physiological or biological standpoint, there's a reduction in endorphins but also (a loss of) identity," she said.
15She said a lot of athletes are still experiencing feelings of shock or disbelief.
16She said athletes often deal with life difficulties by working out really hard or preparing for a competition.
17"They haven't got that anymore, which is very difficult," Anderson noted.
18Top athletes usually have exceptional drive, skill and the ability to perform well under extreme pressure.
19But they are no less likely to experience mental health problems.
20Self-isolation raises the threat of serious mental health problems -- and not just for athletes with pre-existing conditions, Anderson said.
21Many athletes have tried to stay hopeful and happy, at least on social media.
22They have made use of spaces inside their homes to work out.
23Some have posted cheerful videos of themselves staying fit by using their children as weights to lift, for example.
24Tennis great Roger Federer cheered fans with a video of himself practicing trick-shots against a wall as it snowed at his Switzerland home.
25In place of swimming, Chalmers has taken to yoga, biking and hiking to stay in shape.
26He is waiting for a small swimming pool housed in a shipping container to arrive at his home.
27Another Olympic swimmer, Chad le Clos is trying to make the best of the situation by attaching himself to a bungee cord as he swims in his own small pool in Cape Town, South Africa.
28"You have to be creative given the limitations you have," he told Reuters.
29"That will help to keep me going."
30I'm John Russell.
1When Olympic swimmer Kyle Chalmers completed his final training period before the coronavirus shutdown, he felt great sadness and fear of what was to come. 2Fear does not come easily to the 21-year-old Australian. He has undergone two heart operations since winning the 100-meter freestyle event at the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil. His personal interests include raising crocodiles and snakes. 3It took some "processing" to accept the fact that his dream of defending his Olympic victory had been delayed. But what Chalmers fears most is the idea of not being in a swimming pool for six months -- the length of time the swimming center where he trains may be closed. 4Chalmers is one of thousands of high-level athletes whose dreams have been put on hold because of the 12-month delay of the Tokyo Olympics. Many of them are also in lockdown, with little to no ability to train for an unknown length of time. 5Chalmers said, "Unknowns are quite challenging, especially for athletes whose days are mapped out from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to sleep." 6Losing that structure, he added, is every athlete's fear. 7Health experts warn that a long period of isolation could affect the mental health of many people, especially those who might link self-worth to competition. 8Dealing with difficulties 9Caroline Anderson is a mental health expert who works with professional and Olympic athletes. "That sudden stopping of the sport, from a physiological or biological standpoint, there's a reduction in endorphins but also (a loss of) identity," she said. 10She said a lot of athletes are still experiencing feelings of shock or disbelief. She said athletes often deal with life difficulties by working out really hard or preparing for a competition. "They haven't got that anymore, which is very difficult," Anderson noted. 11Top athletes usually have exceptional drive, skill and the ability to perform well under extreme pressure. But they are no less likely to experience mental health problems. 12Self-isolation raises the threat of serious mental health problems -- and not just for athletes with pre-existing conditions, Anderson said. 13Dealing with unknowns 14Many athletes have tried to stay hopeful and happy, at least on social media. They have made use of spaces inside their homes to work out. Some have posted cheerful videos of themselves staying fit by using their children as weights to lift, for example. 15Tennis great Roger Federer cheered fans with a video of himself practicing trick-shots against a wall as it snowed at his Switzerland home. 16In place of swimming, Chalmers has taken to yoga, biking and hiking to stay in shape. He is waiting for a small swimming pool housed in a shipping container to arrive at his home. 17Another Olympic swimmer, Chad le Clos is trying to make the best of the situation by attaching himself to a bungee cord as he swims in his own small pool in Cape Town, South Africa. 18"You have to be creative given the limitations you have," he told Reuters. 19"That will help to keep me going." 20I'm John Russell. 21The Reuters news agency reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 22_____________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24athlete -n. a person who is trained in or good at sports, games, or exercises that require physical skill and strength 25challenging -adj. difficult 26isolation -n. the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others : the condition of being isolated 27physiological -adj. characteristic of or appropriate to an organism's healthy or normal functioning 28endorphin -n.a hormone released by the brain and nervous system and causing a number of physiological operations 29bike -v. to ride a bicycle 30hiking -v. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise : to go on a hike 31bungee cord -n. a very strong rope that can be stretched and that has hooks on either end