U.S. Olympic Figure Skater Gracie Gold on Mental Health and Her Return to the Sport

.....While there is no shortage of drama in figure skating, stories like Gold’s aren`t ones you hear often. And you certainly don’t hear them being told so candidly. Instead, struggle, disappointment, pain, and a myriad of other perfectly human emotions that don’t ascribe to the sport’s narrow definition of what a champion looks, acts, and sounds like are camouflaged behind picture-perfect smiles and scripted responses. Gold, however, is unapologetically getting real — which is not only refreshing but necessary. “I thought depression was for people who were homeless or people who had lost their jobs — that’s part of the stigma,” Gold tells Allure. “When in fact, an alteration of brain chemistry can happen to anyone.” Even gold medal winners......   ...more

Bethany`s Notes: Nice to see Gracie back at Nationals. Her fight was real and she had to make the climb back through the rankings to get there but wow....her story is amazing.