Top Tweets for #OutsideLaneSA

Yesterday, I met a South African Olympian who competed in the 2008 games. She mentioned something I had never really thought about before but an important conversation I wanted to share. You see, when the games are all said and done and our athletes head back home, some may suffer from post-game depression. Even the ones who made it to the podium. These incredible humans have just competed on the World’s stage, watched by billions, and we were rooting for them, and speaking about them, and holding our hopes in them… and then they return to what may seem a place a lot quieter than before. The time after the Olympics can be really, really tough for athletes. It’s a moment where everything slows down, and suddenly, the intense focus on sports can leave Olympians feeling lost. Sports psychologists, researchers, and even the athletes themselves have pointed out that this period puts them at a unique risk for severe depression. South Africa had 149 athletes compete in 21 different sports. And they were all flipping incredible. They made us so incredibly proud. I know there are loads of conversations (and really funny memes) about Olympian competitors from around the world. That’s cool. But could we also please take a moment to talk about (and celebrate) all our South African competitors? They may need us more now than they did during the games. ❤️