Canadian Olympic champions say sports help cope with mental strain of pandemic

We isolate and we stay in our bubbles. We’re told this is not a time for fun and games. We are constantly fearful of being with others.

But three champions we spoke to are advocating an increased role for sport at the community level to help us get through this.

“Physical activity and sport are essential and contribute to healthier communities overall,” said Olympic gold medallist and gymnast Kyle Shewfelt.

WATCH | Jennifer Heil discusses importance of sport on mental health:

It’s World Mental Health Day and Olympic champion Jennifer Heil joined Scott Russell to discuss how sport can help with mental health. 4:14

He has only recently re-opened his gymnasium facility in Calgary which offers non-competitive programs aimed at growing the grassroots movement of the sport for people of all ages and ability.

“I’ve always felt there is value in leaving your house. Putting down your phone and participating in an activity where you can immerse yourself one hundred per cent into it. Sport provides that place.”

For Catriona Le May Doan, a double Olympic gold medallist in speed skating, her current position as the President and CEO of Sport Calgary has required her to champion the role that sport can play in keeping citizens of her city well-balanced and involved in everyday life.

“I am very worried that we will see the mental health of youth and adults suffer due to a lack of access to sport,” she said via email.

Jennifer Heil won an Olympic gold medal in moguls skiing at the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy. She’s a special advisor to ViaSport BC, a non-profit organization committed to increasing participation in sports and recreational pursuits in that province.

“It’s important that we prioritize sport among other activities for the mental health of young people,” Heil said from her home in Vancouver while on a Zoom conversation. “Sport gets kids off their devices, which we know is a huge issue around mental health, and it connects them with their peers and their communities.

“It’s a critical part of many Canadians’ lives. It builds so many skills that have nothing to do with technical skills. It sets people up for leadership roles and it changes the composition of our brains by building brain function and capacity. The results of physical activity and sport are endless. I don’t know that we fully embrace it the way we need to.”

But while sport has obvious benefits, there are hurdles to overcome. Fears persist that returning to the fields of play en masse may end up doing more harm than good.

“Organizations and facilities across the country have demonstrated that sport can be done in a safe manner – we are all working so hard to ensure we are meeting provincial guidelines because we know the future of sport is at stake,” Shewfelt stressed.

“Sport is an escape that can help us all feel a sense of control in this very overwhelming time. Accountability, belonging and a sense of purpose are all very important factors that contribute to mental health.”

“I’ve heard countless stories from families about how much their children were missing their sports, coaches, and teammates. I can tell you first hand that I have never seen a group of kids happier to be back in a gym than they were on that first day we reopened our doors. Every kid was beaming.”

WATCH | Kyle Shewfelt reflects on 2004 floor exercise gold medal:

CBC Sports’ Scott Russell talked to former Olympic gymnast Kyle Shewfelt about winning gold at the 2004 Athens Games. 4:17

For Le May Doan, the key, in an era of uncertainty, is for sport to provide territory where all people can find comfort, fulfilment, and community.

“We must continue to make sport safe,” she urged.

“With important programs like the ‘RESPECT’ program we continue to make sure that youth are safe in a physical, mental, and emotional environment. We must continue to educate youth on what is proper and respectful behaviour by all involved including themselves, and continue to make sure that their voices are heard. Sport helps build confidence for them to deal with the stress and anxiety of this moment and it gives them a voice to seek help in dealing with this issue.

Heil is like the other champions who are working in their communities to return to sport for the collective well-being. She’s a parent of young children and subscribes to the theory that a healthy body goes hand-in-hand with a healthy mind.

“I don’t know any other way, to be honest,” she concluded.

“I prioritize fitness for my mind, for relieving stress, for being a better parent. That’s all I know … a healthy body and a healthy mind. That’s what I live by.

“As an advocate for sport and as someone who believes in the power of sport well beyond the Olympic playing field, I absolutely believe it is the unsung hero of mental health.”