“I Was Angry… It Became Toxic”: Chloe Kim Opens Up on Her Challenges With Mental Health

In the current day and age, the importance of mental health cannot be brushed aside; especially with athletes, who face enormous pressure, competing on the grandest of stages. Notably, after stars like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, now, snowboarder Chloe Kim opened up on her struggles with mental health and what she did to overcome her problems.

No doubt, tasting success at a very young age has its detrimental effects. For many entities around the world, unimaginable success, fame, and media attention tend to be the root cause of their problems.

Chloe Kim overcomes mental health struggles

The importance of athletes’ mental health came to the forefront when famous tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open. Seeking inspiration from her, gymnastics GOAT, Simone Biles withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health concerns.

With Kim winning many medals at a tender age, she recently revealed how it took a toll on her. The sudden fame increased the expectations from her, adding excessive burden on her shoulders. Thankfully, therapy helped Chloe get a better understanding of her problems and cope with them.

“It’s been a big improvement in my mental health. I’m learning to open up more and communicate my feelings with people around me to be more respectful of my mental health and my time. I think I wasn’t able to. I didn’t give myself enough personal time and was just going straight into work, work, work, work, work. It just made me go crazy. So I was like, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ I definitely have anxiety,” said Kim.

“I felt pressured to be perfect all the time, and it drained me. I was genuinely angry for a while because I was so concerned about what everyone else would think about me. It became toxic,” Kim added.

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The Sochi Olympics in 2014

Courtesy of her incredible talent, Kim qualified for the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia. However, the age limit for qualification was 15 years and Kim was only 13 at that time. However, now at 21, she is already one of the best snowboarders in the world. On her way to Beijing, Kim is currently aiming to win her second gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Undoubtedly, Chloe Kim is an inspiration for many. However, with a rise in fierce competitors, do you think Kim will win another gold medal in Beijing?

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