News article
Praise for first Olympic Mind Zone prioritising mental health for athletes
Olympic athletes have praised the inclusion of the first Mind Zone at Paris 2024, which provided a safe space to disconnect and decompress during a busy period of competitive sport.
The introduction of the Mind Zone aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) message around the equal importance of mental and physical health.
The zone hosted 2,300 virtual reality sessions with athletes from 148 countries, and trained mental health and wellbeing support was provided onsite for 14 hours a day. These virtual reality sessions took place in disconnection pods which encouraged athletes to try calming breathing and visualisation exercises.
Further activities for athletes included painting, yoga and postcard writing which saw more than 4,000 gratitude postcards sent.
A survey following the Olympic Games showed that 90% of users were satisfied or very satisfied with the offering.
“I was so impressed to see a dedicated space where athletes could focus on their mental wellbeing, which is vital to both their competition preparation and their overall health."
“Reflecting on my visit to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Mind Zone was one of the most inspiring initiatives I encountered,” commented Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation Director General.
“I was so impressed to see a dedicated space where athletes could focus on their mental wellbeing, which is vital to both their competition preparation and their overall health. I commend the IOC for their commitment to prioritising and promoting mental health, and urge more organisations to follow this example.”
An IOC team was onsite to guide athletes through the activities, with further measures embedded that have been designed through a Safeguarding and Mental Health Emergency Action Plan, to ensure athletes that needed additional support had multiple ways to access it. Trained psychologists and psychiatrists were also available if needed.
World Mental Health Day was marked on October 10.
Image: Antonio Vivace on Unsplash