“All I wanted to do was give up” - Olympian Juliette Whittaker details her heartbreaking struggles with depression 

Olympian Juliette Whittaker recently opened up about her heartbreaking struggles with depression. The American shared how she had been on the brink of giving up when the people around her pulled her through the difficult times.

Whittaker has been one of the most promising middle-distance sprinters the nation has seen in recent years. The 21-year-old is a high school national record-holder in the 800m and a two-time NCAA champion in the distance. In 2024, she competed at the Paris Olympics, registering a seventh-place finish in the finals.

On Thursday (May 23), Juliette Whittaker took to her Instagram to detail her struggles with mental health. In a lengthy note, she began by sharing that she has struggled with depression for a long time. She went on to explain that she reached a ‘breaking point’ recently, writing:

“A few weeks ago I reached a breaking point and all I wanted to do was give up. Life brought me to a place I never imagined I'd be. I had to hit pause on school, on running, on everything. It was dark and hard, but deeply necessary. I opened a door I thought I wouldn't come back from. But, I did. and a large reason I did was because of the people in my life who refused to let go of me-even when I let go of myself. They showed up for me, visited me, waited for me, and loved me, and quite frankly, that saved my life”.

Whittaker went on to acknowledge that healing wasn't a linear journey, but explained that she hoped she could make someone feel less alone by opening up about her own journey. The American ended the message on a positive note, writing:

“I've been gone, but I'm finding my way back. It's not easy, some days are still hard, and everyday healing looks different, but I'm starting to believe that life has more for me. For you, too. This is an incredibly hard chapter, but it is not the end of my story.”

Juliette Whittaker registers podium finish at The Big Meet

Whittaker at the Paris Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

Juliette Whittaker’s 2025 began on a lukewarm note. The youngster struggled to make it to the podium in the first few races of her year and was unable to defend her 800m title at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Her outdoor season saw her deliver more consistent performances. In April, she placed third at the Stanford Invitational in the 1500m and clocked a fourth-place finish in the 800m at the Bryan Clay Invitational. However, she registered DNFs in both distances at the Payton Jordan Invitational.

Juliette Whittaker's most recent outing on the track came at The Big Meet. Competing at the Edward Stadium in Berkley, California, the Stanford University athlete registered a fifth-place finish in the 800m and a third-place finish in the 1500m.