Paralympic Sprinter Jaleen Roberts on Navigating Mental Health as an Elite Athlete
Paralympic sprinter Jaleen Roberts shares her journey navigating mental health struggles as an elite athlete and how she came to find a new purpose in running. She also opens up about the strength and healing that comes from seeking help when struggling with your mental health. “There shouldn’t be shame accompanied with reaching out–it should be a proud moment.”
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00:00 There shouldn't be shame accompanied with reaching out.
00:02 It should be a proud moment, like I got the help when I needed it.
00:06 And yeah, I think that anybody that does that should be proud of themselves.
00:09 I was going to go to the Paralympic Games in 2020,
00:17 but they were postponed in March.
00:19 I lost my sense of purpose because for four years
00:22 I was training for such a big moment, such a big year.
00:25 I got super, super depressed.
00:27 I actually ended up speaking to my mom,
00:30 and she advised me to drive to my coach's house.
00:33 We had a conversation, and I ultimately decided to admit myself
00:37 into a psychiatric hospital where I did get the help that I needed,
00:39 and I got proper diagnosis.
00:41 And they set me up for mental health success outside of the facility.
00:45 So I got, you know, a therapist on the right medication,
00:48 other resources that helped me.
00:50 I've always dealt with depression since middle school.
00:52 I was medicated.
00:53 It just got to a really bad point, and I started to get suicidal
00:57 ideations, and it was really scary for me, actually.
01:00 So it came down to that point.
01:01 And that's why I finally called my mom, because I thought to myself,
01:05 if I don't, then I don't even know if I would have been here for the Games.
01:08 And I did also have another major setback to one of my really good friends
01:13 died by suicide in May of 2021.
01:16 So actually pretty close to the Games.
01:19 Again, I didn't want to compete.
01:20 I didn't think that I was like mentally tough enough to do it.
01:23 And each time that something happens, it's really just a matter of
01:26 having conversations and rediscovering my original purpose.
01:29 I guess I just changed my mindset of my dedication for the game.
01:33 It made it easier because I dedicated the Games to my friend,
01:36 which made it a lot easier to train and compete
01:40 and be able to be focused while still honoring her and her memory.
01:45 And I had a conversation with my coach because I really didn't want to train
01:48 anymore, and he brought me back to my why.
01:50 So we talked about my original purpose for why I do what I do,
01:55 not just the competition or the medals, but what's the real reason
01:58 why I am involved in Paralympic track and field anyways.
02:02 And that was because growing up,
02:04 I never had female athletes with disabilities to look up to.
02:07 And I had never heard about the Paralympics, only the Olympics
02:11 and the big stars in that.
02:13 And I wanted to be a female role model with a disability to younger athletes.
02:17 I was able to look through more rose colored lenses
02:20 and look forward to Tokyo 2021.
02:23 And I realized after that I was going to have more time to train.
02:28 I was going to have more time to deal with some minor injuries
02:30 I was dealing with.
02:31 And looking back, I wouldn't change anything because had the Games been in 2020,
02:36 I don't know how I would have performed.
02:37 And so I'm grateful for the way that everything panned out.
02:40 But it definitely was a challenge getting back.
02:42 I had a really strong mental fight that I had to fight.
02:46 But with the help of my coach and my mom and the rest of my community,
02:51 I was able to ground myself and get back to training for it.
02:54 It took a lot to even speak up to my mom about anything.
02:57 It was something that I wanted to deal with on my own.
03:00 And then it came to a point where I just felt like I couldn't.
03:03 So it definitely took, you know, some some bravery.
03:05 But that's the whole reason why I do what I do is so that other people
03:09 know that it's a brave thing to do and it shouldn't be stigmatized
03:12 or there shouldn't be shame accompanied with reaching out.
03:15 It should be a proud moment.
03:17 Like I got the help when I needed it.
03:19 And yeah, I think that anybody that does that should be proud of themselves.
03:22 I know it can be scary to open up to a ton of people.
03:25 But if there's one trusted person within your community,
03:28 especially as an athlete, our communities are sometimes broader
03:31 because we have our coaches, our strength trainers, our nutritionists, whatever.
03:35 We have such a strong community.
03:37 And so reach out to somebody
03:38 and just let them know that you're struggling and it's not something to be ashamed of.
03:42 [Music]
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