"Top Female Athletes in 2025: Unveiling the Unvarnished Truth"
In the world of sports, it's crucial that social media giants take a firm stance against accounts promoting sexism, abuse, and misogyny. These harmful behaviours have no place in any arena, especially one that celebrates athletic achievement.
One organisation making a difference is Athlete Interactions, a charity founded by Amber Keegan. This initiative has fostered a safe, open community where girls and women can share their experiences and access the support they need. Keegan, a Team GB Olympic swimmer, understands the challenges female athletes face firsthand. She struggled with mental health issues, including an eating disorder, for many years.
Keegan's experiences led her to launch Athlete Interactions, aiming to support female athletes' mental health. Another athlete who has faced similar struggles is Emma Pooley, a Team GB Olympic silver medal cyclist. Pooley battled with bulimia, a condition often triggered by the pressure to be thin in her sport. However, her love for food and the realization of the importance of a healthy diet helped her recover.
Pooley believes there's a need for better understanding of sports nutrition, women's health, and the warning signs of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in cycling. This condition, characterised by low energy availability, can lead to a range of physical and mental health issues.
Mental health and performance are intertwined for athletes, and without strong support systems, poor mental health can lead to a dangerous cycle. Laviai Nielsen, a Team GB Olympic Bronze medal 400m sprinter, echoes this sentiment. She has seen a shift in how female athletes are perceived but feels there's a long way to go.
Female athletes are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and body image issues. One in three female athletes feels they don't get enough coaching support compared to men, and three in four say they've experienced sexism in their sport. To address these issues, it's essential to implement comprehensive, gender-sensitive care that includes mental health literacy, tailored screening, mentorship, and integration of physical and psychological health factors.
Offering specialized mental health services, incorporating screening and management of female-specific health issues, establishing strong mentorship and social support networks, improving mental health literacy, and addressing socio-cultural factors are key ways to improve mental health support for female athletes. For instance, Wayne State University's program provides confidential counseling, psychoeducation, team sessions, and performance enhancement strategies tailored to female athletes’ unique pressures and needs.
It's also important to note that women in sport are still significantly underpaid compared to men. Simone Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin have gained respect for being open about their mental health, but more needs to be done to support female athletes. One in three female athletes has experienced abuse or trolling online, much of it rooted in gender bias.
Women's sports are typically less well-funded, leading to more jobs for athletes, less rest and recovery time, and negative impacts on mental health. Sarah Bellew, Head of Communications at Women In Sport, calls for a standalone legislation that criminalizes misogyny, as it's not currently recognized as a hate crime.
By implementing these evidence-based, multifaceted strategies, we can optimise female athletes' mental health, helping them perform at higher standards while fostering equity in sports.
- In the realm of health and wellness, it's crucial to acknowledge and address the prevalence of mental health issues among female athletes.
- The love for food and the realization of the importance of a balanced diet aided Emma Pooley in her recovery from bulimia.
- Comprehensive, gender-sensitive care including mental health literacy, screening, mentorship, and integration of physical and psychological health factors is crucial for supporting female athletes' mental health.
- Wayne State University's program offers specialized mental health services, screening, and management of female-specific health issues, and provides confidential counseling tailored to female athletes’ unique pressures and needs.
- The underrepresentation of women in sports, resulting in less funding, more jobs, and less recovery time, can negatively impact mental health and perpetuate the gender inequality in sports.
