Jackie Joyner-Kersee on mental health: That's not something we talked about

Four-time Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee praised back-to-back 200m world champion Noah Lyles of the United States for his commitment to speaking out about mental health.

“To see, in this generation, to be very outspoken, because in our generation, if we said anything about mental health, [if] you needed a sports psychiatrist: ‘Oh, you’re weak, something’s wrong with you,’ you know, suck it up and let's go,” said Joyner-Kersee Friday (22 July) during a media availability at the ADIDAS house during the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene. “But you do need someone to talk to. And being in the forefront of just sharing your story, how much that really helped so many people.”

Lyles is part of a new generation of athletes that includes the likes of gymnast Simone Biles and tennis stars Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka who have been vocal about their mental health struggles.

Prior to the Tokyo 2020 Games, where Lyles won bronze in the men’s 200m final, he was open about his struggles with depression.

For Lyles, his mental health journey has made his triumph in Eugene all the sweeter.

“Tokyo was a trial and I had to get through it,” he said following his 200m win. “I was just talking now… talking about how me speaking about mental health in that moment now makes this moment also great because it shows that you can go through a dark storm and come out of it better than you were before, stronger than you were before.”

It’s a complete 180 for Joyner-Kersee, winner of six Olympic medals including three golds.

And one that she hopes will continue to help athletes down the road.

“I think it's great what you're doing,” she said of Lyles. “I'm telling you, I talk to people that they don’t know how to handle their anxiety and they can be the best in the world in that little moment in that lane, light shining. But you don't know what they're dealing with behind closed doors.

“So, I appreciate you,” she continued. “Keep speaking out because that's not something we talked about, you know, pressure.”