GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — One of the biggest stories from the Tokyo Games was American gymnast Simone Biles’ decision to put her mental health first and withdraw from competition. It sparked a meaningful conversation about mental health.
It’s a topic short track speed skater Ryan Pivirotto is all too familiar with.
It should have been a career highlight: Pivirotto made his first Olympic team four years ago. He was a substitute in Pyeongchang but never competed.
“It’s a huge boost of serotonin, happiness and experience,” Pivirotto said. “But not being able to compete, not being able to represent the USA…it really hit me in a really hard way.”
Pivirotto said he struggled to stay motivated. There were days when he forced himself to go to practice.
“I didn’t want to be home eating chips and playing video games. I had already put on weight and I needed to get up and do something,” she said. “I know that if I had stayed home doing absolutely nothing, feeling sorry for myself, I would have quit right there.”
If I had, I’d be living with regret.
“I would have regretted it a lot. Like the stereotypical dad in the movies, the dad who was a big hit in high school and is sorry he didn’t, that kind of guy,” she said.
Instead, Pivirotto is one of two men who qualified for the US Olympic team in Beijing, leaving no doubt that he will compete.
While he appreciates the opportunity to compete under the hoops, Pivirotto also knows it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t gotten help. When the post-Olympic depression hit, he started talking to a therapist.
“It’s really hard to ask for help because I think a lot of it has to do with your ego and not wanting to accept that this is where you are,” he said. “It’s okay to fight. It’s okay to be down. If you realize that’s where you are, you can start preparing to improve.”
