MANILA: What a lot of people often take for granted is that the training of an athlete doesn’t stop at physical optimisation. Athletic performance on the court, track, in the ring, in the pool—wherever it happens—is nothing without the mental engine powering it.
And if the mind doesn’t rev up, the body likely won’t follow.
The mental battles also come from multiple fronts: sometimes it’s about issues and controversies happening around the athlete; sometimes it comes after having pushed oneself too much; sometimes it stems from survival mode and a lack of support; and sometimes, most tragically, it comes just because.
All of these are valid, as we all have a right to protect our mental well-being. Here are a few mental health stories from elite Filipino athletes.
Carlos Yulo and depression, suicidal thoughts
Olympic gold medal gymnast Carlos Yulo may be in the headlines for both his wins and his family issues, but before those blew up, his less-than-stellar performances in the past were a source of depression for him.
“To tell you honestly, I was at a point that I wanted to just simply vanish. I nearly took my own life,” Yulo said in an interview after winning his gold medals in Paris.
“But I prayed until I fell asleep. After that, I felt at ease, and the following day, my feeling was lighter. That’s how my faith in God started. I carried that until the Olympics, and I believe that all the challenges He gave me would lead to good results.”
Fortunately, it was a message from his now-fiancée, Chloe San Jose, that ended up helping save him—with her love and support, Yulo has brought pride to the nation.
E. J. Obiena and burnout
Olympic pole vaulter E. J. Obiena regularly enlists the services of a sports psychologist to help him manage his mental health—something that should be accessible to all athletes, not just national reps.
“When it comes to mental health… burnout is real. It happens. I’ve experienced it. But the world doesn’t stop,” he said in an interview after the Paris Olympics.
“My sports psychologist is not just a sports coach—he’s also a clinical psychologist, so he told me that to be the best E. J. Obiena as an athlete, I need to be the best E. J. Obiena as a person,” he said.
“Therefore, I need to fill all my buckets: my energy, my emotional energy, my spiritual energy, mental energy; all of these things are important. And I should not be neglected.”
Hidilyn Diaz and anxiety
The Philippines' very first Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, earned her medal after getting mental scars. She even recounted having a mental breakdown after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed because of COVID-19. She felt that all her time and effort preparing for that were all for nothing, but her coaches stood by and supported her.
She credits her psychologist, Dr. Karen Katrina Trinidad, for grounding her and telling her she needed to take it day by day. After that, she went to Tokyo a year later and made history.
“I remained grateful every day. I became productive day by day. I looked for ways—I cooked, I attended meetings, I was a part of Project Steady,” Diaz recounts.
“The anxiety was heightened, the fears were there, the worries. But having someone to talk to and guide you, it all became easy because Doc Karen is great; she really guided me. Athletes are people, too. We go through a lot of things, but it all became easier when there was someone who could guide and counsel,” she adds.
Para-athletes and learning to cope
Some para-athletes also deal with the psychological trauma of becoming disabled, especially if they grew up non-disabled—and they find a sense of purpose and normalcy in sports.
Case in point: Obstacle course racer Kent Tumangan from Mandaue City, Cebu, who lost his leg to bone cancer. He fell into depression after his amputation. It was being able to join para-sports that lifted his spirits.
“I kept praying for the Lord to give me a sign so that I could continue my life with one leg. I joined sports for people with disabilities like wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, so that I could divert my thoughts and not feel hopeless,” he said.
Nesthy Petecio and the existential crisis
One of the biggest concerns Filipino athletes have when they choose to make a living through sports is worrying about making enough to support themselves. Of course, the actual way to do that is through winning—and Olympic silver medalist boxer Nesthy Petecio suffered losses and setbacks in the game that had her contemplating a career change.
“When I lost my opening bout at the 2018 Asian Games, I really wanted to stop,” she told Olympics.com. “I was going to look for a job. I was looking for other options. At that time, I was really feeling down. I was feeling depressed; I was stressed.”
Petecio ultimately didn’t end up quitting, though—she did take a break, and then quietly regrouped with her coaches. She ended up winning three golds in 2019, and then stepped into Tokyo 2020 to win silver, before gaining the bronze in Paris 2024. It’s proof that sometimes, all you need is a tactical retreat to recover, get stronger, and get back in the game at full strength.
She credits her strong love for boxing with making her stay in the game. “Without boxing, I wouldn’t be who I am today. There would be no Nesthy Petecio.” - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
