Swimmers who battled mental health issues and won a spot at US Olympic trials ft. Lydia Jacoby, Caeleb Dressel

Modified Jun 21, 2024 14:06 GMT

Lydia Jacoby (L) and Caeleb Dressel (R) both battled mental health issues and booked a spot at the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials. PHOTO: Both Getty Images

The 2024 US Olympic trials in Swimming have witnessed some remarkable performances from the United States swimmers as they are battling to secure their position at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the journey of a few of the swimmers was not only defined by hard work and dedication but also filled with challenges, including mental health issues.

We will now dive into knowing more about the athletes who battled mental health issues and won a slot at the US Olympic trials.

List of swimmers who battled mental health issues to book their spots at the US Olympic trials

Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel took a break from the sport for eight months after the 2022 World Swimming Championships in Budapest to primarily focus on his mental health due to severe pressure and stress.

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist had previously encountered mental health challenges as he experienced panic attacks and depression after gaining fame as a top swimmer at the University of Florida. The retirement of Michael Phelps after the Rio Olympics also escalated the pressure as Dressel was seen as a leading figure in American male swimming.

However, the gap helped Dressel in overcoming the stress and pressure as he began to miss the feeling of competing in the sport. Dressel will be competing in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics after making it to the US Olympic team with a third-place finish in the 100m freestyle.

Lydia Jacoby

Lydia Jacoby experienced 'post-Olympic depression', which she cited was due to the drastic change in environments. Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she pursued a clear and purposeful goal in her mind and dedicated herself to achieving it.

However, following her gold medal in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Olympic Games, she felt a sense of void in her life as she had already accomplished her main goal. As a result, this brought uncertainty in her life, leading to her facing depression.

In an interview with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Jacoby described the feeling stating:

"I had really reached the pinnacle of sports, and I just was kind of lost on where to go next."

But, Jacoby found a way to overcome this feeling after she joined the University of Texas in Austin where she learned how to reshift her focus and the importance of setting boundaries to prevent becoming overwhelmed.

She, however, missed out on an opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics and make it to the US Olympic team after finishing third in the 100m breaststroke during the finals.

Regan Smith

Regan Smith is another athlete who fought with mental health issues, especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with "SwimSwam" during the 2023 U.S. National Championships, she revealed that she too struggled with mental health issues, stating:

“I feel like mental health and sport has always been kind of stigmatized. And when I struggled with it a few years back, starting right around when COVID started, after my world records, I really struggled with it a lot. I felt like if I did speak out about it, I was viewed as weak and I was washed up and wasn't where I used to be.”

She added:

“ I'm just glad that people are more vocal about it nowadays and it's become a lot more normal. And I think that's what also makes me feel better about experiencing pressure because I know that everyone else in the pool with me feels the exact same amount of pressure that I do.”

She will now be heading into her second Quadrennial Games after setting a world record in the 100m backstroke at the 2024 US Olympic trials.

Edited by Shirsh