BMX freestyler Nikita Ducarroz on mental health: “You aren’t alone and it’s OK to talk about it”

Nikita Ducarroz doesn’t hold back when it comes to talking about what BMX freestyle has done for her.

“The way BMX saved my life was firstly giving me something that I was so passionate about that was worth doing… worth leaving my house for,” the Olympic bronze medallist said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com at the Madrid Urban event in June of this year.

As a teenager crippled by anxiety, Ducarroz came to a point where she no longer went outside. Confined to the walls of her house, she stopped going to school and stopped having contact with the outside world.

BMX was at the heart of her recovery from those dark moments in her life, and it’s poignant now that when she talks about the BMX community she credits it as the second reason the sport saved her life.

“I started meeting the community and they became friends,” the 26-year-old Swiss/American said of the group of riders she competes against but whose unwavering companionship has given her a place she finally feels like she belongs.

“They became family, and everything around it just built and built and built and just gave me such a sense of care and kindness and people I could count on.

“And from there it just gave me a reason to be here and to push for something, and it’s still doing that even today.”

READ MORE: Urban Cycling World Championships preview

BMX: A community as much as a sport

The idea that BMX freestyle transcends the traditional boundaries of sport is not something only Ducarroz talks about. So many of the BMXers who vie for podiums, medals and rankings talk first and foremost about the importance of the friendship and bonds they have built within the BMX community.

Britain’s Charlotte Worthington, who won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport at Tokyo 2020, talked to Olympics.com about how the BMX community is a “second family”, while Croatia’s 2018 World Cup men’s champion Marin Rantes spoke passionately about how Olympic silver medallist Daniel Dhers took him into his home to enable him to train after growing up in a town with no skate parks.

“When he invited me to come to his place because I didn’t have anywhere to ride, it was amazing,” Marin recalled of the time Dhers opened his doors to him back in 2017. “For the first year I didn’t have any money so he helped me to stay for free and ride for free… he’s not just a friend, he adopted me, so he’s my dad in BMX.”

Ducarroz feels this sense of community acutely. It’s no exaggeration to say that being part of it has turned around her life.

And now she wants nothing more than to give back.

Normalising conversations around mental health

Ducarroz freely admits she still struggles with her mental health. In fact, her openness on the subject led her to developing MindTricks, an Instagram page where athletes, sportspeople and the wider community can share their stories about mental health.

“MindTricks started because of my own posts that I was making on Instagram about mental health,” she explained. "And I thought why don’t we create something where others can do the same, a central spot where everyone can read about these stories and also feel inspired to share their own stories.”

When she first began speaking out about her struggles and experiences, Ducarroz definitely felt in the minority. But the bravery it took for her to talk has snowballed into a more open conversation about mental health in action sports and the ways in which speaking about the subject can heal and help.

“I think the biggest thing which, you know we hear a lot, but it’s the fact that you aren’t alone and it’s OK to talk about it.

“I think when I first started speaking about it, it wasn’t really talked about, nobody had ever talked to me about it. And the response I received from that was so amazing that it just made me want to keep doing it, to keep helping others.”

Since starting MindTricks, Ducarroz has been struck by the number of athletes and members of the BMX community who have responded positively to the platform and her goal to “get people feeling like they can talk, and it’s OK.”

“So many people have reached out to me and thanked me or said that either a story they read had really helped them or encouraged them to go ask for help," she told us. "Even if it would have done that for one person it would have been worth it, but to see such a large response and how many people that could help is really unexpected.”

READ MORE: Cory Coffey: The BMX pioneer inspiring the new crowd

Looking to the future

Ducarroz is enjoying a golden period in her career right now. A bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 that leaves her “speechless” to today has been followed by strong performances over the past year that have seen her rise to No. 1 in the world rankings.

And while she remains “super excited” for the next Games in Paris, she is clear when she talks about what she would like her legacy to be whenever she ends her career in BMX.

“I would just like to show that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or what you are dealing with, you can accomplish whatever goals you set out.

“And show how amazing and inclusive BMX is and that it’s something that can help a lot of people.”

_You can follow Nikita Ducarroz's progress at the Urban Cycling World Championships in Abu Dhabi from 9-13 November right here on Olympics.com. _