“I was so inspired” – When Michael Phelps lauded Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka for speaking about mental health struggles

Former Olympic athlete Michael Phelps is an advocate for athletes’ mental health. Having confessed to suffering from depression, Phelps has often stood in support of his fellow athletes. Unsurprisingly, the swimmer also backed both Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka for their decision to put their mental health first.

Gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka admitted to suffering from emotional and psychological struggles in the last few years. Biles sent shock waves around the world when she announced her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health problems.

Osaka also created a stir by pulling out of the French Open in May, citing similar reasons. She had earlier bowed out of Wimbledon to take 'personal time with friends and family' ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

While the two athletes were lauded for speaking out about their mental health, they also faced backlash from some quarters. People targeted the athletes and accused them of being ’irresponsible' with regard to their professional commitments.

Amid the criticism, many athletes, including Michael Phelps, came forward and spoke in support of Biles and Osaka.

The most decorated Olympian in history recalled his own experiences and said that times have changed since then. Emphasizing the importance of conversations about mental health conversation, Michael Phelps said that he was inspired by Biles and Osaka.

Speaking on the WHOOP podcast, Michael Phelps said:

“Throughout my career, I had a lot of cries for help and didn’t really know what to say or how to do it… When Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka spoke publicly about their mental health challenges, I was so inspired."

"It really brought me joy because for anybody who opens up and talks about struggles like this, it’s so freeing. For so many years, we’ve all wanted to shove everything under the rug. Now the Band-Aid’s off the rug is out, right?”

Phelps went on to laud the two athletes for being vulnerable in the public eye. He added:

“People are ready to talk about it, make change and to help others. I loved when Naomi opened up because she did it in such a powerful way. On her terms, in her words, on her platform. To be able to do that on a public stage, she showed vulnerability, and that’s a scary thing for a lot of people."

"When I saw Simone at the Olympics go through what she went through, it’s so wild to see because it shows you that mental health can creep up at any given time. No matter if it’s the Olympics or your birthday.”

What did Michael Phelps say in support of Simone Biles?

Having bowed out of the gymnastics finals of the Tokyo Olympics, Biles revealed that she was dealing with mental health issues. However, she would also tell reporters that she was 'okay'.

Michael Phelps commented on the matter and told Biles that it was 'okay not to be okay'. The swimmer stated that Biles' condition broke his heart and that he was 'overwhelmed' by the situation.

Phelps spoke about Biles and Osaka on multiple occasions and said that their situations were an 'eye-opening experience' for people.

Phelps addressed his own mental health struggles in the HBO Sports documentary The Weight of Gold and urged athletes to be introspective.