It Takes a Team: How Team USA Athletes Are Redefining Strength Through Mental Health

In the world of elite competition and professional athletes, the conversation is shifting — from medals and margins to something deeper, more human. It is a recognition that behind every performance is a person navigating pressure, expectation and the often invisible weight of mental health.

Sprinter Kendall Ellis, a two-time Olympian and medalist, speaks about anxiety with a clarity that comes from years of lived experience. Her journey is not about eliminating it, but learning how to live alongside it.

“This isn’t going away,” she explains. “So how do we coexist, and how do we operate with it?”

That shift — from resistance to acceptance — did not happen in isolation. It is the result of a support system that extends far beyond the track.

Ellis’ support system includes a coach who has been with her for over a decade, someone who has witnessed her growth from teenager to elite professional.

“He knows when it’s a good day and when it’s a bad day,” the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 hopeful says. “He knows when to push me and when to pull back. That understanding has been wildly helpful.”

When Ellis struggled at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, falling short of expectations, it was her coach who grounded her in the moment. “He told me, ‘You’re in the hole, but I’m holding the ladder,’” she recalls. “All you have to do is climb.”

In a sport that can feel intensely individual, that reminder — that she was not alone — proved transformative. It is a theme that echoes across Team USA: success is never solitary, and neither is struggle.

Known for his independence, Olympic freestyle skier Nick Goepper once embraced a “lone wolf” mentality, believing he could manage everything on his own. But over time — and through deeply challenging moments — the four-time Olympian came to understand the limits of that approach.

“You have to connect with community,” the 32-year-old says. “Nothing can replace that.”

For Goepper, support does not always come in grand gestures. Often, it is simple and consistent: a phone call, a shared cup of coffee, time spent with family or friends.

“If I’m stressed out or anxious or depressed, having someone come over for an hour goes a really long way,” the three-time medalist explains. “Just any sort of communication … is by far the best way to engage that support.”

Where stigma once silenced these conversations, there is now a growing openness — an acknowledgment that seeking help is not a weakness, but a vital part of sustaining performance and well-being.

Two-time Paralympian Jaleen Roberts has experienced that shift firsthand as the demands of elite sport intensified.

That is something Goepper has slowly learned over the course of four straight Winter Olympics. At his first Games, the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, his winning silver medal brought him fame that the 19-year-old was not prepared for. He faced a mental health crisis that forced him to reevaluate everything.

“When I wanted to die,” he says candidly, “that was when I realized something wasn’t right.”

From that moment, the path forward involved not just professional support but a deliberate effort to re-engage with the world around him. Today, he prioritizes relationships and routines that keep him grounded — weekly dinners with family, time with his fiancée, moments of connection that anchor him beyond the slopes.

That separation — between athlete and individual — is something both Goepper and Ellis emphasize as essential. For Ellis, it is a conscious practice.

“I have a very distinct awareness of who I am outside of my sport,” she says. “This is my career, but it’s not the end-all, be-all.”

That mindset allows her to navigate difficult days with perspective, to step back and assess performance without letting it define her identity. It is a balance she learned early, reinforced by a childhood that prioritized being well-rounded.

“I was raised to have other interests and activities outside of my sport,” she says. “So I didn’t rely solely on it.”

Roberts describes a similar grounding, rooted in the people who know her beyond competition.

“They make me feel like me … a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a best friend,” she says. “I can’t thank the people closest to me enough for simply making me feel like me at my core.”

Still, even with that foundation, asking for help does not come easily. Ellis describes herself as someone who internalizes, who struggles to vocalize when she is in need. And yet, her story underscores another critical aspect of support systems: sometimes, others step in first.

“My parents and my high school coach sat me down,” she recalls. “They saw the anxiety, and they hated seeing me go through it. They were the ones who pushed me to see a sports therapist.”

It was a pivotal moment for Ellis — one that reshaped her relationship with mental health care and set her on a path that continues today. She now works with a sports psychiatrist, viewing mental health not as a destination, but an ongoing process.

“There are ups and downs,” she says. “It’s a continuous journey.”

Roberts believes that willingness to reach out is itself a form of strength, a mindset she has carried since childhood.

“Being mentally strong means having the strength to speak up and reach out when you need help,” she says. “My mental health shifts alongside my life experiences,” she says. “There is no fixed endpoint … it’s a continuous journey of self-care and growth.”

That journey is increasingly supported by structural resources within Team USA. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee has expanded its investment in athlete well-being, providing access to mental health professionals and initiatives like the Mental Health Assistance Fund, which helps bridge gaps in coverage and ensures athletes can access the care they need.

The demand for that support is clear: In 2025 alone, 587 Team USA athletes applied for assistance through the fund, underscoring both the growing need and the increasing willingness among athletes to seek care.

On the world stage, that commitment extends in real time — during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the USOPC delivered 48 days of on-site psychological services across nine venues, embedding care directly into the competitive environment.

These resources are made possible by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation (USOPF) and its donors through 2027, whose contributions help sustain a system of care that recognizes athletes as whole people. Mental health ambassadors and supporters play a critical role in advancing this work, ensuring that conversations translate into tangible support.

For athletes like Goepper, the availability of these resources has been transformative — even if engagement looks different for everyone.

“I don’t think it’s one size fits all,” he says. “But having those resources available whenever we need them — that’s the greatest thing.”

What unites athletes like Ellis, Goepper and Roberts is a shared understanding: mental health is integral to performance — and to life beyond sport. And as the next generation of athletes prepares for LA28 and beyond, their stories carry a powerful message. They challenge outdated notions of toughness and redefine resilience as something more nuanced: the ability to be self-aware, to seek support, and to keep going — not alone, but together.

For more information about the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, visit give.teamusa.org (or click here to make a gift).