Finding the ‘happy bubble’: Mental health key for Olympians

By MARTHA BELLISLE
Associated Press

MIDWAY, Utah (AP) — The U.S. biathlon team has a full-time embedded sports psychologist who travels with the team. Every member of the U.S. cross country ski team also works with a sports psychologist. Recent revelations about the stresses athletes face have helped the public see athletes as human beings who go through ups and downs, just like everyone else. It also helped athletes feel more comfortable about sharing their mental health challenges. Olympic sports psychologist Sean McCann says the athletes are constantly under some sort of environmental stress, so his job is stress management.