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While the pushback still hurts, she’s made peace that anyone who challenges the status quo of athletes being portrayed as emotionless automatons is likely to get criticism. When she first started speaking up about mental health, Seidel encountered negative feedback and harsh comments online, telling her to stay in her lane as an athlete or to stop complaining. “They can be more open to celebrating small successes and notice progress along the way to big goals and roll with setbacks when they happen.”

They can recognize their flaws as a natural part of being human, not as something wrong with them as an individual which can reduce negative self-talk and improve self-belief,” says Sarah Strong, a licensed clinical social worker and Boulder, Colorado-based therapist who specializes in working with athletes. “When an athlete embraces perfection, they can let go of what they are ‘supposed’ to be and accept things as they are. She hasn’t entered a marathon since 2022, which she dropped out of at mile 16 with a hip injury. Olympic Trials Marathon and earn the chance to run in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Seidel has only raced once this year-she placed eighth at the Cowtown Half Marathon (1:13:08) in Fort Worth, Texas, in February-but is considered to be one of the top contenders at next February’s U.S.

“It’s been balancing being able to share the journey while also living it.” “It’s been interesting to be seen as an advocate for mental health in sport, especially because a lot of it is stuff I’m actively going through,” says Seidel.

One of her primary messages was admitting that, while the past year has been challenging, she’s eager to embrace her role as an imperfect advocate for mental health in the running community if it helps others on their journeys. Since then, Seidel has used her journey to de-stigmatize mental health for other athletes and demonstrate that struggle isn’t the opposite of healing-it’s an integral part of it.Įarlier this month, the 28-year-old Puma-sponsored pro led a New York Road Runners group run called “Open Run for an Open Mind” to share her story and connect with the running community. After a career-defining run at the Tokyo Olympics that catapulted her to new levels of prominence in the running world, she dealt with relapse and was forced to confront the pressures that came with fame and a platform. Seidel has been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders. While competing at the highest levels of the sport, Seidel has also been candid about her mental health struggles. Molly Seidel is a top-rated American distance runner with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the American record at the New York City Marathon. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!