THE PEDESTAL—A GLIMPSE

You put me on a pedestal and tell me I'm the best

Raise me up into the sky until I'm short of breath 

Fill me up with confidence, I say what's in my chest

Spill my words and tear me down until there's nothing left

Rearrange the pieces just to fit me with the rest, 

In 1994 Andreas Escobar was put on the pedestal.

He was the ‘Gentlemen’ of Colombia, an icon for the entire country.

The world gave him their flowers—to do what he does best.

To go out to the grass of the Beautiful Game and play what he plays best.

When the world gave him flowers again,

He lay peacefully, under the grass of Cementerio de San Pedro.

In 2021, England raised Bukayo Saka onto a pedestal.

England’s starboy, burdened with prodigious expectations.

The nation cheered with beer and flowers,

But when he stumbled under summer’s glare,

They met him with scorn, their love quickly turning to hate.

And a young boy faced the weight of a fractured nation.

I told two stories. There’s thousands. Each year. Whether you are an aspiring college athlete, or a frequent SportsCenter feature earning 5 digits a month, you are prone to the effect of the pedestal. Sometimes you build it yourself, and sometimes the world builds it for you, but once you're placed upon it, the fall can feel inevitable. The pressure to remain perfect—flawless in performance, impeccable in image—becomes a weight that almost no amount of modern physical and mental training can prepare you for. The pedestal isolates, turning triumphs into expectations and failures into personal catastrophes. And yet, the conversation surrounding mental health in sports often lags behind the conversation of victory, as though success and struggle cannot coexist. But they do. And they always have.

I should note, just like in any subject, generalization can be the death of discussion. Every athlete carries their own experiences, and each mental health journey is as unique as the individual living it. I am in no position to define that journey for you, nor can I claim to comprehend the depth of every personal struggle. What this paper aims to do is not to create a one-size-fits-all narrative, but to highlight recurring themes, challenges, and moments of vulnerability that athletes across the spectrum have encountered.

I should also note that I do not aim to depict a one-sided narrative solely illustrating the hardships athletes face. Instead, I will try my best to highlight all the punctuality often bedimed by the media within the industry pendulum, while concurrently accounting for the presentable adornment and glory received as an athlete.

What is often overlooked is that the very fame and fortune that seem like blessings can, in fact, become sources of pressure and isolation. Athletes are humans, subject to the same mental vulnerabilities as anyone else, but in their world, the stakes are magnified. In this paper, I aim to encompass the intersection of success, pressure, and mental health throughout an athlete’s entire career, from their initial foray into competitive sports to their eventual departure from the game. It aims to uncover how triumph and vulnerability coexist behind the public facade of adulation.

Many viewers assume that the immense salaries athletes earn should somehow protect them from mental health struggles. The thinking goes, with fame, fortune, and widespread admiration, the pressures they face should be a minor trade-off. After all, how difficult could life be when you're living a dream career, earning millions, and adored by fans?