Never would have imagined she was going through something like this. I live in Maryland. We know her Dad. Wonderful young lady to say the least.
I have been to Stanford with my boys (runners). It is such a beautiful place. Such an esteemed place. I love the track and stands with the team store under the brick.
You think, Olympic athlete, full ride, Stanford University. Got the world by the balls. Just never know.
TL; DR, I don't think it's wise to discuss mental illness on public social media. It's saved FOREVER. Your employer and everyone else can find it. God forbid you'll ever be in a lawsuit where they pull this up to deny benefits.
I think neither Rosin Willis or this young lady are setting a positive role model for young women with these public posts about anxiety and depression - which every person struggles with from time to time. (the fact that every human emotion is something that can be treated with a pharmaceutical is another subject, but I don't agree with that either). THE PROBLEM IS the average Joe Schmoe shouldn't write these things on public social media, where it will be saved forever.
what happens when you get into a lawsuit - they're going to pull up screenshots of you talking about your depression. What happens in your child custody case/divorce? same thing. Screenshots of your depression. In today's HIGHLY competitive job market - which candidate do you think they would chose? One with social media discussing their mental illness, or another social media that is blank?
TL; DR, I don't think it's wise to discuss mental illness on public social media. It's saved FOREVER. Your employer and everyone else can find it. God forbid you'll ever be in a lawsuit where they pull this up to deny benefits.
I think neither Rosin Willis or this young lady are setting a positive role model for young women with these public posts about anxiety and depression - which every person struggles with from time to time. (the fact that every human emotion is something that can be treated with a pharmaceutical is another subject, but I don't agree with that either). THE PROBLEM IS the average Joe Schmoe shouldn't write these things on public social media, where it will be saved forever.
what happens when you get into a lawsuit - they're going to pull up screenshots of you talking about your depression. What happens in your child custody case/divorce? same thing. Screenshots of your depression. In today's HIGHLY competitive job market - which candidate do you think they would chose? One with social media discussing their mental illness, or another social media that is blank?
Respectfully, I think the stigma is the problem. The fact that you say we all go through it at some point but then turn around and say “but don’t post about it” because you have to hide it so that you can get a good job, fare well in a divorce or lawsuit is EXACTLY the problem. Mental health should not be treated any differently than cancer and when most public figures have cancer, it becomes known. I get what you are saying, I do. You are trying to be “real.” But being REAL is all of us treating mental illness with the attention it deserves.
Didn’t Roisin Willis also suffer from mental health issues?
Being a student-athlete at Stanford must be tough. When I was in high school it seemed like the dream scenario but now with perspective I can see how that could turn into a nightmare. Roisin mentioned she was having insomnia issues and I can only imagine how the academic load plus training and any number of other commitments starts to weigh heavily. I think running can also be uniquely challenging mentally when you are able to so directly compare yourself with previous seasons and your competition. When things are going well, it can easy to tune that out or just carry along but when things get rocky that can suddenly change. I'm sure Juliette has a wonderful support system around her and I would hope that the running community she actually interacts with (far from the haters of the message boards) appreciate her sharing this.
This is something I have been thinking about recently as seniors are graduating onto college and the thought that college athletics may change in the foreseeable future. How many are happy with their collegiate career while they are there? It is the main objective for so long. Families invest time and money with the sole goal of a scholarship or being able to compete in college. Athletes sacrifice years of the life with the end goal of continuing in college. There is an entire performance ecosystem built to "prepare" athletes and help them improve to be good enough to be recruited. But, how many are happy once they get there? Is it worth it? Should we be okay with separating the two? A Stanford student that also trains for competition at an elite level, without the stress of all that comes from the NCAA system may not suffer these mental health issues.
I think neither Rosin Willis or this young lady are setting a positive role model for young women with these public posts about anxiety and depression - which every person struggles with from time to time. (the fact that every human emotion is something that can be treated with a pharmaceutical is another subject, but I don't agree with that either).
it sounds like she had clinical depression, which is profoundly not what every person struggles with from time to time. i was once a div 1 student athlete female runner, also struggling with clinical depression, and i have much respect for her for speaking out. it’s the right thing to do. it must have been really hard to do. it will help others.
Didn’t Roisin Willis also suffer from mental health issues?
Being a student-athlete at Stanford must be tough. When I was in high school it seemed like the dream scenario but now with perspective I can see how that could turn into a nightmare. Roisin mentioned she was having insomnia issues and I can only imagine how the academic load plus training and any number of other commitments starts to weigh heavily. I think running can also be uniquely challenging mentally when you are able to so directly compare yourself with previous seasons and your competition. When things are going well, it can easy to tune that out or just carry along but when things get rocky that can suddenly change. I'm sure Juliette has a wonderful support system around her and I would hope that the running community she actually interacts with (far from the haters of the message boards) appreciate her sharing this.
The "academic load" is not heavy depending on your major.
How come it's never Ethiopian or Kenyan women runners having these kinds of struggles?
They just deal with it and have a healthier understanding of what is important and life because they aren't trying to think of their lives as a continuous series of instagram posts
Never would have imagined she was going through something like this. I live in Maryland. We know her Dad. Wonderful young lady to say the least.
I have been to Stanford with my boys (runners). It is such a beautiful place. Such an esteemed place. I love the track and stands with the team store under the brick.
You think, Olympic athlete, full ride, Stanford University. Got the world by the balls. Just never know.
Juliette never stated when all this started, but pretty shrewd hunch it began after Paris when she returned to Stanford and immediately jumped back into xc training. Actually wound up being the team's 9th/10th runner . . . but redshirting would have been the better option.
From the outside, appears to be an extreme example of post-Olympic letdown which spiraled out of control.
Juliette never stated when all this started, but pretty shrewd hunch it began after Paris when she returned to Stanford and immediately jumped back into xc training. Actually wound up being the team's 9th/10th runner . . . but redshirting would have been the better option.
From the outside, appears to be an extreme example of post-Olympic letdown which spiraled out of control.
I doubt they could've known that at the time though. I imagine that moving on from such a "high" is actually a bit like getting over a major "low," such as grief or trauma. Some people do best when they throw themselves right back into their regular activities, while others need much more time and/or space away. Unfortunately, no way of knowing for sure in any individual case beforehand.
She is strong for sharing that and I hope she gets the help she needs and that she feels good about herself. That probably was very hard for her to do.
It's unfortunate, though, that she will get hate on this forum from some of the usual chuckleheads.
How come it's never Ethiopian or Kenyan women runners having these kinds of struggles?
They just deal with it and have a healthier understanding of what is important and life because they aren't trying to think of their lives as a continuous series of instagram posts
I don't think you, or any of us, have any idea about mental health in East Africa.