Naomi Osaka
“Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life,” wrote Naomi Osaka in an article for Time magazine in July 2021.
“If that’s true, then it was all worth it.”
“Athletes are humans. Tennis is our privileged profession, and of course, there are commitments off the court that coincide. But I can’t imagine another profession where a consistent attendance record (I have missed one press conference in my seven years on tour) would be so harshly scrutinised,” the four-time Grand Slam winner wrote.
Michael Phelps
“As a male athlete, I could tell something was off,” he said in an interview with NBC ahead of the Olympic Games at Paris 2024. “But I think I saw it as a sign of weakness and if I shared anything about it then it would give my competitors an edge.”
“I had to learn vulnerability is a good thing and it was scary at first, but I learned that vulnerability just means change. And for me, it was a great change.”
“It’s pretty powerful to see Naomi use her platform and take this time for herself. She wants to get herself better,” said Phelps. “I can’t say it enough – I think this is incredible; I think it’s awesome. It’s so powerful what she did, and I wish her the best.”
Simone Biles
“(Naomi) is speaking up about mental health, and I think it is really important that athletes put their mental health first,” Biles told Entertainment Tonight after the Games in Japan, “because, at the end of the day, that is what is going to determine how well we go out there and compete in whatever sport that is.”
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