The pressure of being an Olympian is sometimes too much to handle. Some of the country’s most elite athletes, like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, have been outspoken about the mental toll the games take on you. Mental health at the Olympics has become a bigger focus in recent years. One former Olympian, Carrie Bates, is tackling the taboo topic head-on, just like she did while swimming in the pool and experiencing addiction.
Carrie Bates won three Olympic gold medals in the pool at the 1984 Los Angeles games. At the time, she was just 16 years old. She didn't even have her license yet, but Carrie was on top of the world. However, things turned very quickly.
“I’m not sure at 16 I understood how that 55 seconds was going to shape the rest of my life completely," Bates said. “The first time I remember drinking for the sole reason of not feeling was after the 1988 Olympic Trials when I didn’t make that team.”
Just four years after standing on top of the podium three different times, Bates was standing on the sidelines. She failed to qualify for the U.S. team in 1988, which sent her spiraling. Carrie turned to alcohol, hoping it would fix her disappointment. It didn't. Instead, she continued to drink well into her adult life. Even with a husband and two daughters, Bates continued her alcoholic pattern.
“Inside, I was dying," she said.
In 2012, alcohol was putting too much strain on her relationship with her daughters. Bates finally recognized her problem and wanted to fix it. So, she went to rehab four different times.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done," Bates said. "It was way harder than winning an Olympic gold medal.”
With the heart of an Olympian still inside of her, Bates did exactly what she knew how to do — win. She beat her alcoholism and has now been sober for over 12 years. Carrie's transformation meant so much to her and her family that she decided to dedicate her life to helping athletes with their mental health and substance abuse. She now serves as an outreach manager for Hazelden Betty Ford, an addiction treatment center.
“There’s not a part of my life that sobriety hasn’t changed," Bates said.
Bates' work with athletes is needed now more than ever. With the rise of criticism on social media and the added strains of sponsorship expectations and family responsibilities, Olympians face more scrutiny, anxiety and pressure today than ever before.
"We don't do a great job with recognizing athletes are human beings first," Bates said.
The Olympics are trying to change that. The International Olympic Committee has launched a new Mental Health Action Plan for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Plus, a lot of teams and individual athletes are working with sports psychologists.
"The USOPC has made really positive steps in the direction of addressing mental health, but I think we’ve only begun to scratch the surface," Bates said. "I think that we need to learn to embrace our athletes not only while they're competing but even after they're competing."
Bates says athletes need to work on separating their self-worth from their results and not allow the outcome of their event to dictate how they feel about themself. She also says its important for athletes to communicate with therapists, their families and their loved ones.
“It’s OK to ask for help," Bates said.
Bates also says the fans play a major role. She says how they interact with the Olympians in person and online will have a direct impact on their mental health.
“Please cheer for these athletes," Bates said. "There’s a lot of life challenges out there, and nobody’s immune to them no matter how many medals or how much money they make. We need to support the human being of the athlete just as much as we support the athlete when they stand up on the highest platform in the world.”