Olympic vet Dominique Dawes is thrilled that gymnastics has finally stuck the landing when it comes to prioritizing athlete health.
For starters, “There is a discussion now about mental health, whereas back in the 80s and 90s, there was no discussion about it,” the gymnast, who last stepped on the mat for Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, told E! News in an exclusive interview. “If you did have issues, like mental blocks, or if you had emotional breakdowns, you were considered mental and it was talked about in a very negative way.”
So add finding ways to deal with the almost unbearable pressure of making the podium to the long list of skills the U.S. national team vet displayed en route to collecting three bronze medals throughout her career, plus team gold with the Magnificent Seven at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“It is a part of life that you’re going to go through emotional and mental rollercoasters,” explained the athlete, whose back-to-back tumbling passes earned her that Awesome Dawesome nickname, “and you need to be able to have support systems that are safe individuals where you can open up to them and also tell yourself to take a break.”
