Why did Allison Schmitt reverse her decision to retire?

US swimmer Allison Schmitt is an Olympic veteran, having competed in a whopping four Olympic Games from 2008 to 2020. She has bagged 10 Olympic medals - four gold, three silver, and three bronze.

She suffered through several ups and downs in the run-up to the Rio Olympics. After the Rio Olympic Games, Schmitt enrolled at Arizona State University to pursue a Master's in social work and a career in counseling. So, in 2016, she retired from swimming. Allison Schmitt spoke about her decision with The Detroit News in 2019.

She said:

"I mean, I definitely thought I was done after ’16. I guess I just thought it was time to move on."

However, two years after her retirement announcement, Allison Schmitt joined training sessions with long-time coach Bob Bowman. Bowman saw the possibility of her starting professionally again.

He said:

"At that point, I figured, 'Okay, there’s more to it.' I immediately thought, 'Oh, boy, here it goes.'"

Allison Schmitt had still not signed the retirement papers with USA Swimming and the US Anti-Doping Agency, so she was still subjected to random drug testing. She took a much-needed break, traveled with her friends, and enjoyed the freedom from strict discipline. It was "refreshing" for her.

It took her a long time and a long talk with friend Michael Phelps and his wife Nicole to realize that she wanted to once again start swimming professionally. And although Bowman saw the conversation coming, he was waiting for Schmitt to say it. She spoke about how she approached the subject with the veteran coach, saying:

"I went to Bob's office and I said, 'Hey, I think I want to swim again. But if you think this is a crazy idea I’ll walk out of here and we can pretend I never said this'."

Bowman, however, agreed with her. In fact, he thought that her decision made perfect sense.

"I felt like her mind was already made up, and I felt like it was a good idea."

After much preparation, Allison Schmitt captained her relay team to a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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"It’s okay to feel that way" - Allison Schmitt on her struggles with depression

Allison Schmitt at the Tokyo Olympics (Image via James Chance/Getty Images)

While the 2012 London Olympics were a high point in Allison Schmitt's life, having won five medals, what happened after was anything but pleasant.

Depression started creeping in. She became irritated and cranky at minor inconveniences. She began to sleep more and more. It got so bad that she didn't feel motivated when she stepped into the pool.

While many thought it was just the post-Olympic Blues and a phase that would soon pass, that was not the only case.

It was in January 2015 that Allison Schmitt thought she was at breaking point. She felt angry and extremely isolated. Although her coach and friends reached out to her, it was seeing Michael Phelps struggle with his own mental health problems that she felt she could push through as well. So she took his advice and decided to seek help.

According to CNN, she talked about the transition:

"I started, accepted the fact that I wanted to get help. It’s okay to feel that way."

However, she still wasn't open about her psychological struggles with her family. She thought seeing a psychologist was a matter of embarrassment.

But in May 2015, her cousin and young athlete, April Bocian, ended her life. The tragedy prompted Schmitt to speak out.

"Especially as athletes, we are taught that if we push through something, we can get through. We use that mentality in sports, and we use that in life. But life is such a big game. You need a whole army of support and help that you can get."

Allison Schmitt hopes to inspire more people to recognize the severity of depression and how important it is to seek help.