3 minute read

Experts say the mental health impact of COVID-19 is different for Australia's elite athletes.

WHAT DOES COVID-19 MEAN FOR AN ELITE ATHLETE?

* Australia's top athletes were gearing up to peak for the Tokyo Olympics as the virus swept across the globe.

* Years of training that had ramped up was suddenly stopped.

* Elite athletes, like everyone else, have been barred from gyms and pools.

* They've also been blocked from training with their regular squads and face-to-face contact with support crews.

HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED THEIR MENTAL HEALTH?

* Experts say elite athletes have been blindsided because their lives are built around a regime that was suddenly taken away to stop the spread of the virus.

* The athletes themselves could be immuno-suppressed which means they're at a heightened risk of getting sick.

* But the overall effect of taking away the camaraderie and competition they thrive on is somewhat unknown.

* Each athlete as an individual is affected differently.

HOW HAVE THE CAMPBELL SISTERS HANDLED IT?

* Two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Cate Campbell was charging towards what would be her fourth and potentially last Games before the pandemic.

* She admits she initially had a meltdown and grieved the loss of pursuing her dreams.

* But then she found the energy and time to embark on new hobbies.

* She has planted herbs and eggplant in a Brisbane backyard garden, taken up photography, worked on some furniture she found on the roadside and honed her skills in the kitchen.

* Bronte Campbell, also an Olympic gold medallist, took a different approach.

* She initially retreated from the meditation and visualisation she practises each day, but has since restarted it because it gives her a feeling of control.

* Bronte says she is finding a balance between keeping her mind focused on Tokyo 2021 but also getting the mental break she needs to come back strong when pools reopen.