Alexi Pappas: Long NYT Video Opinion Piece on Her Post-Olympic Depression

Pappas has a level of narcissism that is beyond.

This feels like a complete publicity stunt.

I know a lot of people on here don’t like her, so I’m not surprised by these reactions. Same thing if Goucher were to do this. But say someone like I don’t know Huddle or Flanagan made this, every one would be praising them. What’s funny to me is everyone on here thinking they know her and can make the decision if she has depression or not. A lot of people have mental health issues and are afraid to talk about, so to have someone say it isn’t real is a slap in the face. If you don’t like her or her personality fine, but I don’t think anyone can make the call what issues she is or isn’t dealing with.

Coke not Pepsi wrote:

byugiy wrote:

If this was nearly anyone else. I’d say bravo. Pappas.....seems like another bid for attention

I agree.

She is the f*cking worst. I don’t care about her career or her depression. I am someone that has battled depression my entire life and still do. Maybe she got so depressed because she knows she isn’t a real Olympic athlete. Everything about this girl I can’t stand. I’m shocked she has come out as gay/transgender yet. Not because she is but because it’ll get her publicity a boost

If you've had depression yourself, I'd think you'd have some sympathy for her.

The Good Santorini wrote:

It's fine, sure. I hope the help she gets is useful.

Weird that the piece doesn't mention that she is a professional actor though.

https://twitter.com/nytopinion/status/1335935843811385345?s=20

Trolls here are pretty pathetic.

Everyone has a different personality. What might be fine for one person could make another severely depressed and suicidal. Not cool and slightly disgusting to make fun of her in this context.

600mRunner wrote:

The Good Santorini wrote:

It's fine, sure. I hope the help she gets is useful.

Weird that the piece doesn't mention that she is a professional actor though.

https://twitter.com/nytopinion/status/1335935843811385345?s=20

Trolls here are pretty pathetic.

Everyone has a different personality. What might be fine for one person could make another severely depressed and suicidal. Not cool and slightly disgusting to make fun of her in this context.

You are missing the point. Posters are not making fun of her, but are pointing out that they don't think that she is sincere.

TMADDDHASFNE wrote:

Cannot

Understand

Nutjobs &

Traitorous Greek Goddesses

You're into all that psycho 'Christian' stuff, aren't you?

sighaginof wrote:

Yeah.

First thing first, I was touched by her story and her sharing her new understanding of her mother. That had to have been an incredibly difficult thing to process.

I'm glad the piece mentioned the other athletes that came forward and spoke about mental health like Phelps, Gold and Love. I was irked by the implication at the beginning that she was the 'first' athlete to speak out about mental health in sports or that 'no one' was having this conversation. I believe that this has been a conversation for a long time, and more and more teams and athletes are turning their focus towards it. For that change I will credit the above three athletes, as well as Mary Cain, Aly Raisman and others. I hope she does

Agree with this. I also found it interesting that she said that on all the high level teams and coaches she had been on, no mental health services had been offered to her.

Granted she graduated from Dartmouth and Oregon awhile ago, but I know for a fact that both athletic departments DO offer mental health services and that the NCAA has a big focus on mental health.

I believed her story and anytime an athlete speaks out about receiving help it helps reduce the stigma. The things she spoke to..being type A, thinking she could push through etc, are common, but I also wondered if she unintentionally missed opportunities to get help because of those beliefs NOT because it wasn't there as she said.

bravey wrote:

It is hard to figure out why the NYT has continually given such toadying attention to this chick. She is sub-elite to sub-average at every single thing she attempts. She is far less talented and attractive than, say, Paris Hilton. It is understandable that she shows up in Letsrun, as seemingly does every jogger to WR holder from 5 to 105, but what interest can the NYT possibly have? Is her old college roommate the editor there?

You can pay the NYTimes to run puff pieces like this. The entire Sunday Styles section runs on this garbage. This is just promo for her book.

taintedpiece wrote:

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

She has a book coming out in January. This article and associated other press attention are part of the promotion for that book.

Hope she finds happiness. Life is more than running and achievement. You won't find happiness as a goal achieved. Life is process, a journey, etc.

ew, that makes this all feel the more suspect and attention-grabbing.

I don't doubt she has had mental health issues - good for her and speaking out and getting help. Mental health seems like the new "it" thing to talk about for athletes to stay relevant. Tons of athletes have spoken up in the past few years, so not sure why this is so shocking or worthy of an NYT video opinion piece...

Yes, but, but racism? Gender bias? Pay inequality?