How SA athletes cope with mental health amid Covid-19

• Published date: 18 September 2021
• Author: Sameer Naik
• Publication title: Saturday Star

Several top athletes have even withdrawn from major sporting events, citing mental health issues.

This week, the Saturday Star caught up with some of South Africa’s top athletes to find out what impact the pandemic has had on their mental health and what they are doing to keep mentally sharp during testing times.

They highlight the importance of being vocal about mental health issues.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on all aspects of life, particularly as an athlete. We’ve been kept away from what we love for quite some time, and that has taken its toll in terms of trying to reinvent ourselves and adapt and still make sure we keep up with the required physical standards.

The biggest thing that I have done to ensure that I keep mentally sharp was to tap into my hobbies other than rugby and other passions. I have developed a knack for writing, and I’ve had one or two of my articles published in Cape Sport at Six. I did a lot of reading, a lot of introspection, and just re-evaluating my goals and my dreams. Also, just taking some time to meditate and look after myself, so that when the time came when I got back into the swing of things, I am at my sharpest mentally.

I think it’s of critical importance that athletes speak out about issues that affect their mental health, because naturally, when you are an athlete, you are elevated into a platform that allows you to have a great audience, and with that comes the responsibility of creating awareness around critical issues affecting society and ourselves, and I think mental health issues are one of those issues.

I think I speak for many athletes that the toughest thing was just struggling to cope. I went from playing cricket every day, going to the gym, to not being able to do anything. And the president said it would only be 21 days. But once the lockdown was extended, I think that is when it really affected me. It was an overwhelming feeling.

I didn’t do anything to keep mentally sharp, to be honest. I think it was only once we returned to playing and I was finding my feet again in cricket did I start questioning why I didn’t do anything.

Everyone is so big on physical health, but we always neglect the mental part of it, and I think that was the toughest thing to adapt to.

I think the more we keep quiet about issues such as mental health, the more we cripple our growth. More athletes are coming out and asking for mental breaks, and I think it does wonders for your career, because you start...