Freeskier Margaux Hackett opened up about her mental health struggles, revealing that she experienced suicidal thoughts after a concussion two years ago.
The 22-year-old, who is competing in her first Winter Olympics in Beijing, kicks off the women’s freeski big air qualifying on Monday (2:30pm NZ start time).
Fast forward to 2020 and Hackett, the daughter of bungy jumping entrepreneur AJ Hackett, was in a tough spot after a ski fall and doubting if she would make it to the Games.
Hackett hit his head in August 2020 while filming stunts for a video and suffered a concussion.
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“The next hour and a half I don’t really remember what was going on. I wasn’t unconscious, I was talking the whole time, but I don’t remember,” she said. Things.
“I thought I was completely fine and in two weeks I should go skiing again. Two weeks later, things went downhill.”
The concussion caused Hackett sleep problems, which dealt with “total insomnia” and led her to experience suicidal thoughts for the first time.
I had no energy and competing in the Winter Olympics was the last thing on my mind.
“You can’t function without sleep, then those thoughts came up and it got pretty dark.
“Until you experience that, you don’t really understand it. It was pretty scary looking back and remembering what dark hole I was trapped in.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Margaux Hackett performs in the women’s freeski big air qualifiers at the 2021 FIS snowboard and freeski world championships in Colorado.
“Being on the other side feels pretty amazing. I hope I can get people to go and get help if they need it and there’s no shame in doing that.”
Hackett was fortunate to have a strong support network, including her doctor and psychologist, who were invaluable.
She attended the Aro Ha wellness retreat in Glenorchy, near Queenstown, where she worked with Dr. Amanda Foo-Ryland, giving her a new perspective on life and competition.
“I’ve been working with her for the last year on all sorts of different things, nowadays on my performance and my skiing and helping me get more confident.
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Margaux Hackett will compete in her first Winter Olympics in Beijing after narrowly missing out four years ago.
“Right now I have a hypnosis that I listen to every day for a week, then it goes down to three times a week. Little things like that, which I wouldn’t have done in the past until I went to get help.”
Hackett will compete in the Slopestyle and Big Air Freeski events in Beijing.
Slopestyle involves a variety of obstacles including rails and jumps, with points scored for breadth, originality and quality of tricks. As the name suggests, Big Air sees athletes trying to pull off their best trick from a huge ramp that propels them into the air.
After narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2018 Games in South Korea, Hackett was overjoyed when she was confirmed in the first wave of New Zealand selections in September..
She was “pretty bummed” about not being at the 2018 event, but over time she realized she probably wasn’t ready.
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Margaux Hackett is aiming for her personal best in her freeski disciplines at the Winter Olympics and is hoping for good results from there.
Four years on, she was feeling much more confident and prepared after some satisfying international results, led by top-10 finishes at major international events, including fifth place in big air and eighth in slopestyle at X Games Norway 2020.
This season, she finished 8th at the Freeski Slopestyle World Cup in Switzerland.
I want to go out there [at the Winter Olympics] and enjoy it and have fun, but also do the best I’ve ever done.
“Hopefully that means getting to the final at the Olympics, and then hopefully putting in some really good races that can get me on the podium.”
Born and raised in Annecy, France, and describing herself as “half French and half Kiwi,” Hackett said she could easily have been representing her native country at the Olympics.
Joe Allison/Getty Images
Margaux Hackett and father AJ smile for the cameras at a New Zealand national team announcement in Cardrona in September.
In his early days of competition, it looked like he might opt to race for France in age group events. As he got older, she decided he wanted to come back to New Zealand more often and said there were better opportunities with high performance.
“I started spending a lot more time [in New Zealand] and the facilities there were amazing and the people and I felt welcome. Everyone was very nice and the program at Cardrona was really good. It opened a lot of doors for me.”
Hackett’s famous father will not be in Beijing due to strict Covid-19 protocols for the Games. Only select spectators will be allowed at the events, fans from outside the country will not be allowed, and tickets will not be offered to the public.
AJ attended the New Zealand team announcement in Cardrona and was very proud to be with his daughter, conducting interviews alongside her.
Margaux and AJ were at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the Games were held near a bungee jumping facility, Sky Park, which opened later that year.
Watching the world’s best winter athletes compete for gold gave Margaux powerful motivation and made her dream of one day following in their footsteps.
“We saw the slopestyle event and we saw the level of skiing at the time, I was getting into it, I thought I could do that.
“It kind of confirmed what I wanted to do, but it also confirmed that I had a chance to get there if I worked hard.”
A vision that has come true eight years later.
WHERE TO GET HELP
1737, do you need to talk? – Call toll-free or text 1737 to speak with a trained counselor
depression.org.nz – 0800 111 757 or text 4202
Life line – 0800 543 354
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
kids line – 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
youth line – 0800 376 633, free text 234, email [email protected], or search for online chat and other support options here.
Rural Support Trust – 0800 787 254
samaritans – 0800 726 666
What’s the matter – 0800 942 8787 (for children from 5 to 18 years old). Telephone counseling available Monday through Friday from noon to 11 pm and weekends from 3 pm to 11 pm Online chat is available from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm daily.
thelowdown.co.nz – Web chat, email chat or free text 5626
anxiety new zealand – 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
Supporting families with mental illness – 0800 732 825.
if it’s an emergency Click here to find the number of your local crisis assessment team. In a life-threatening situation, call 111.
