Gold medalist Michael Phelps opens up about suicide, depression in new documentary

Olympians such as Michael Phelps (pic), Apolo Ohno and Jeremy Bloom are opening up about their mental health struggles in a new sobering documentary about suicide and depression among the world's greatest athletes. Photo: AP

Athletes Stephen Scherer, Jeret Peterson and Kelly Catlin have two things in common: They all reached their dream of becoming Olympians, and they all died by suicide.

Olympians are known for pushing their bodies to the extreme but much less understood are the mental and emotional rigors paving their road to greatness. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, says he had suicidal thoughts even at the peak of his remarkable swimming career and calls depression and suicide among Olympic athletes an “epidemic".