“I’ve dealt with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts,” Tara Davis-Woodhall revealed in a heartfelt message shared on the eve of World Mental Health Day last year. It was a powerful and personal declaration from an elite athlete, one many wouldn’t expect from someone so often seen smiling and soaring over long jump pits.
Mental health struggles are more common than ever, and athletes are no exception. For Tara, the journey hasn’t always been golden. Behind the medals and the spotlight were dark moments marked by overwhelming emotions and inner battles. She described those periods as a “curse,” a mental weight she had to fight hard to lift. And though she’s found strength through those struggles, it’s not a path she wishes on anyone else. That’s why Tara now uses her platform to shine a light on mental health—especially in sports where vulnerability is often masked by toughness. In her emotional World Mental Health Day post, she urged others to seek support: “If you’re dealing with this, do not be afraid to reach out for help,” Tara wrote in her message.
Additionally, she mentioned, “It is not a shame to be dealing with these unfamiliar emotions. Our brains can create chaos that sometimes we don’t know how to manage and that’s okay.” However, that’s not all. In her recent conversation, she also reflected on how little mental health awareness there was when she was coming up in track and field.
In her conversation with USATF Foundation, Tara Davis-Woodhall said, “I never had anyone in my sport with [stories about mental health], so I could never relate to anyone. I want to try and be that person.” That’s how she became a self-dependent individual when it came to thwarting the challenge of mental health on her own.
The report is developing…
The post ‘Never Had Anyone’: Tara Davis-Woodhall Makes Honest Confession as She Continues Her Fight With Mental Health appeared first on EssentiallySports.