It was World Mental Health Day last week, and mental health in sports wasn’t even spoken about. For an industry that idolises athletes for their physical feats, celebrating their triumphs and pushing them to the extremes, there’s still a glaring silence when it comes to the mental challenges athletes face.

Now, with the tragic passing of elite sportsman Robbie Fitzgibbon, a British middle-distance runner who competed on the global stage, both at junior and senior levels, this silence is even harder to ignore. At just 28 years old, Robbie’s life came to a heartbreaking end, and those close to him have courageously spoken out about his mental health struggles. His death is a wake-up call for the sports world. It’s a reminder that the pressure and demands placed on athletes—both physically and mentally—are often invisible but can have devastating consequences.

The Hidden Costs of Elite Performance

Behind the medals, the record-breaking times, and the moments of glory lies a different story. Athletes at the highest levels are under relentless pressure to succeed. They push themselves through gruelling training regimens, deal with the fear of failure, and face high expectations from coaches, fans, and brand sponsorships. For many, the line between perseverance and self-destruction becomes dangerously blurred.

For some athletes, this constant drive can lead to overtraining and conditions like Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). RED-S is a condition where athletes, due to under-eating or overtraining, develop serious physical and psychological health issues. Often, athletes—especially in sports where weight is scrutinised—can fall into harmful cycles of disordered eating or even anorexia, believing that achieving a certain body composition will enhance their performance. Around one in five female athletes and one in twelve male athletes fall into the trap of devastating eating disorders – and there’d be more behind this statistic too. And the prevalence of amenorrhea among female athletes is at over 16%. But the consequences are severe: fatigue, injury, hormone imbalances, and mental health struggles like depression and anxiety are just a few of the issues that arise when the body and mind are pushed too far.

Fear of Failure and the Pressure to Succeed

One of the most pervasive mental struggles among elite athletes is the fear of failure. In a world where their worth often seems tied to their latest performance, athletes can feel that anything less than perfection is unacceptable. This fear can be paralysing and can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout. And when an athlete’s entire identity is built around their sport, a bad race, injury, or losing streak can make them feel as though they’ve lost themselves.

Overtraining, driven by the pressure to constantly improve, can worsen this cycle. Athletes are often told to push through pain and discomfort, and the glorification of this mentality can make it difficult for them to recognise when they need rest, physically or mentally. Some athletes work under hard-nosed coaches who might push them beyond their limits, emphasising results over well-being. While discipline is key to success in any sport, a coach who doesn’t prioritise mental health can contribute to an unhealthy and toxic environment.

The Stigma Around Mental Health in Sports

Despite these immense pressures, talking about mental health in sports is still seen as taboo. Athletes are taught to be mentally tough, to grind through adversity without complaint. Seeking help for mental health issues can feel like admitting weakness, which can make it difficult for athletes to reach out when they need it most.

Unfortunately, this stigma can lead to athletes suffering in silence, as it did for Robbie Fitzgibbon. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, disordered eating, or burnout, elite athletes are often left to deal with these struggles alone. Robbie’s death serves as a tragic reminder that mental health can no longer be swept under the rug in the sports world.

Breaking the Silence: A Call for Change

If we truly care about the well-being of athletes, we need to treat mental health with the same urgency and care as physical health. Here are a few steps that need to happen:

1. End the Stigma: Mental health should be as openly discussed as any physical injury. Athletes need to feel safe seeking help without fear of judgment or career repercussions. Coaches, teammates, and organizations should encourage athletes to speak up when they’re struggling.
2. Support Systems: Mental health professionals, including sports psychologists, should be a standard part of any elite athlete’s support team. Just as athletes have access to physical therapists, they should have regular access to someone who can help them navigate the mental pressures of competition.
3. Educate Athletes on RED-S and Disordered Eating: Athletes and coaches alike need to understand the signs of RED-S, anorexia, and other eating disorders. Proper nutrition and rest should be emphasised just as much as training and competition, and athletes should be encouraged to prioritise their health over aesthetics or weight-related performance metrics.
4. Shift Coaching Cultures: Coaches play a huge role in an athlete’s mental health. While it’s important for coaches to demand discipline, they also need to foster environments that emphasise balance, mental well-being, and respect for personal boundaries.
5. Create Peer Support Networks: Athletes often understand each other’s struggles better than anyone else. Encouraging athletes to talk to one another about mental health can break down the barriers of isolation many feel.

Moving Forward

The loss of Robbie Fitzgibbon is a profound reminder that mental health can no longer be an afterthought in the world of elite sports. Athletes are more than their performances—they are people with complex emotions and needs, and they deserve environments that nurture both their physical and mental well-being.

Let’s make sure that Robbie’s legacy prompts real change. It’s time to have these conversations, break the stigma, and ensure that no more athletes feel like they have to suffer in silence. Mental health isn’t just an issue for World Mental Health Day—it’s a reality that needs to be addressed every single day in the world of sports.

Articles to read for more info:

RED-S – https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a33589189/red-s-relative-energy-deficiency-running/

Anorexia – https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/anorexia/

The tragic passing of Robbie – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rd88zd0j0o

Amenorrhea in athletes – https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/84/6/1892/2864430#:~:text=Exercise%20induced%20amenorrhea%20occurs%20in,to%20environmental%20and%20metabolic%20stresses.