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Olympic Figure Skater Gracie Gold on Mental Health – and Being Pressured to be ‘Palatable’

In 2014, Gracie Gold shot to figure skating stardom, winning the U.S. national championship, earning a spot on the Olympic team, and winning a bronze medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics. In 2016, she was again national champion, posting the highest-ever short program score for an American woman at the World Championships. In 2017, she stopped out of skating. Taking a break from competition to seek treatment for what were publicly announced as anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder, “In reality, she was dealing with suicidal thoughts,” NBC News reports.

In an interview with Savannah Guthrie of NBC’s “TODAY” show, Gold opened up about her mental health struggles, reforming skating culture, reclaiming her voice, and living authentically.

Referring to the time she went into treatment, Guthrie asked Gold why it mattered to her to admit that she was having suicidal thoughts: “Why was it important for you to say it? Why couldn’t you say it?”

“It important for me to say that, just because it was the truth,” said Gold. “I checked into a rehab facility because I had wanted to check out early.” But she was pressured to keep that truth hidden. “It wasn’t ‘palatable’ is the word they used, for the world, and specifically for the skating community, the culture of skating… We don’t talk about those things out loud.”

In her memoir Out of Shape Worthless Loser, Gold chronicles the way the mounting pressures of success and the endless grind of training led to an increasingly self-destructive voice in her head.

Gold also shared the unique body image pressures figure skaters face. As elite athletes, training is already demanding, but “because it’s also an aesthetic sport, it can just be really tough,” said Gold.

When she took a break from competition in 2017, she told TODAY Style, “Definitely athletes in the spotlight — figure skaters, especially — are under pressure to fit a certain mold, and fit a certain body type.” Gold added, “A lot of us struggle with (weight issues). And maybe it’s a bit closeted — I don’t want to speak for all figure skaters. But I don’t blame the sport for it. I think that we all have to take responsibility for ourselves. That’s the game I got into, and it comes with the territory.”

Competing in a sport centered around beauty on the ice, image pressures affect every aspect of a skater’s life. Even when she was in rehab, Gold was mystified at how her story was being “watered-down” for the press, wondering aloud, “Why are we still acting? Why are we still trying to get that ‘perfect princess vibe?’

“The thing about figure skating is that you put on a show,” noted Guthrie. “You write a lot about how behind the scenes, it can be really, really painful.”

In her memoir, Gold courageously shares her story of trauma, living authentically, her path to healing, and speaking out to help reform the figure skating culture. While she says, “I still love skating,” Gold admits she’s still grappling with whether she can still be a figure skater without jeopardizing her mental and physical health. In the meantime, the Olympic medalist and two-time national champion has returned to skating as a coach.

Read the full article and watch the interview here.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 (988 Lifeline) for 24/7, free, confidential support. You are not alone.

 

Itoh, Katherine. “Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold talks about pressure she felt to minimize mental health struggles: It wasn’t ‘palatable.’” NBCNews.com, 6 Feb 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/olympic-figure-skater-gracie-gold-shares-battles-mental-health-rcna137436.

Photo credit: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0