Bode Miller explored the intellectual fitness challenges that Olympic athletes frequently face in The Weight of Gold. Now, he is speak me to E! News solely about why he desired to communicate out
Behind each
Olympic win is an unforgettable ride crammed with highs and lows.
With six
medals underneath his belt, Team USA's Bode Miller might also appear like the
closing success story on paper. However, in accordance to the alpine ski racer,
being an Olympic medalist is not always all celebratory.
Bode,
alongside with various different world-famous opponents, which includes Michael
Phelps, Lolo Jones, Shaun White, Gracie Gold and Apolo Ohno, agreed to take
part in The Weight of Gold, HBO Sports' new documentary that explores the
intellectual fitness challenges that some Olympic athletes face.
According to
Bode, it used to be vital to talk up in hopes of bringing alternate to future
athletes of all sports.
"We're
making an attempt to destigmatize and honestly carry the dialog to a productive
place," Bode completely defined to E! News. "Starting with human
beings who perhaps the customary public would not assume to deal with these
matters I suppose was once a logical way to do it."
In The Weight
of Gold, quite a few athletes describe the stress they felt from sponsors, the
media and themselves to function their very fantastic in advance of massive
Olympic races. However, in accordance to Bode, many outsiders neglect that a
majority of athletes are younger adults who are not, organized’ to cope with
all of the factors.
"Most of
these human beings are young adults or early 20s. They do not have the journey
of anybody who has raised young people earlier than or labored in company
America for 30 years. They are kids. It's simply a lot of stress and a lot of
pressure," he said. "I suppose in the end, it is something that takes
an tremendous quantity of maturity and self-discipline and focal point and
intellectual stamina to get via and I simply do not assume there is definitely
any programming designed on assisting athletes increase that."
Bode
continued, "Everything is centered on the bodily facet and it leaves them
feeling very uncovered on the emotional and intellectual state."
Regardless of
the place an athlete locations in his or her sport, the harsh fact is that many
rivals solely have one probability to earn an Olympics journey in their
careers.
In addition,
after years and years of every day exercise and training, the truth of
returning lower back to regular can be an emotional warfare for some.
"The
athletes are typically fuel. If the gadget is the Olympics of the U.S. Ski Team
or the National Governing Bodies—that's the vehicle—the athletes are
fuel," Bode explained. "They are expendable. They are burned up and
spit out of the exhaust pipe with no actual regard for them’ There is
continually a subsequent one. There is constantly every other fuel station
proper round the corner. You can choose up new athletes and burn them thru the
machine as well."
"I
assume the difficult phase is you are applicable when you are applicable and it
is no longer simply Olympic athletes," Bode continued. "It's seasoned
athletes, it is musicians, and it is dad and mom who are empty nesters. It is a
very comparable emotional journey for all these distinct demographics. You are
relevant, you are needed’ absolutely everyone appreciates you and then all at
once in some cases, you are now not applicable or you are no longer needed’ that
affects people's self-esteem, self-worth, self-image and these are sincerely
tough."
Bode says he
tries to use his many years of experiences in sports activities to inform his
youngsters about intellectual fitness and opposition as they develop up. At the
identical time, Bode argues that each era and every man or woman is unique.
Although the
testimonies in The Weight of Gold might also be difficult to hear for some
loyal Olympic fans, Bode says the summer time and iciness video games
nonetheless have many good.
"I
suppose the dream of the Olympics is the place the cost is. We do not prefer to
extinguish that dream. Of the million children that dream of being an Olympian,
possibly a hundred or perhaps 50 without a doubt are Olympians so for the
others, it is about the dream," Bode explained. "It's about the
pursuit, the aspirational aspect and I do not desire to rob them of that by
using any stretch."
"There
are matters that want to exchange and there are methods of altering it. I do
not suppose it is impossible," Bode continued. "I simply suppose
we're in a renaissance proper now for sports activities the place I assume
there may be going to be a lot of truth checks."
While the
International Olympic Committee has but to see The Weight of Gold as of press
time, a spokesperson stated, "The IOC acknowledges the seriousness of the
topic."
In 2018, the
IOC assembled a group of global professionals to evaluation the scientific
literature on intellectual fitness signs, symptoms, and issues in elite
athletes. More recently, the IOC launched a collection of webinars to guide and
encourage athletes in the course of these unsure times.
A
spokesperson additionally tested the IOC Athletes' Commission will proceed to
work intently with the Mental Health Working Group on growing extra assets as
nicely as a helpline.
The Weight of
Gold premieres tonight at 9 p.m. EST on HBO Go and HBO Now.
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