October 9, 2025 • 31 mins
Ahead of World Mental Health Day, former US Olympic swim team captain and 10-time Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt joins Sarah to talk about how her family, friends, and training partner Michael Phelps helped her address her mental health while still pursuing wins in the pool. Plus, the perils of chasing perfection and how she managed a healthy transition out of elite athletics into post-swimming life and work.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're screaming
congrats to our girl, Kate Scott, who is just named
the lead play by play voice for USA Network's WNBA
coverage next summer, The Most Deserving. It's Thursday, October ninth,
and on today's show, we'll be skipping the need to
know and getting right to my conversation with retired swimmer
and ten time Olympic medallist Alison Schmidt. Tomorrow is World
(00:23):
Mental Health Day, so I caught up with Alison to
talk about her experience seeking help for mental health, how
her advocacy work has reshaped her own identity, why it's
important to include vulnerability as a sign of strength, and
redefining what self care actually means. I so appreciated Allison's
willingness to speak so openly about her own struggles and challenges,
(00:43):
and it's really clear that her advocacy on this topic
has already had a huge impact on making sure conversations
like these are no longer held only in private. So
this is a good one. Stay tuned slices. Also, I
was in New York City hosting a WNBA final celebration
for iHeart on Wednesday night and watching Game three of
the finals with a big old crew of hoopeads. So
(01:04):
no Game three reaction today, but don't worry. You'll get
that analysis plus a look ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
To Game four in tomorrow's show. All Right, My interview
with Alison's coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Joining US now, she's the former captain of the US
Olympic swim team, a four time Olympian, ten time Olympic medalist,
and twenty five time medallist in major international competitions. A
four time NCAA national champion, she helped her Georgia Bulldogs
win the NCAA team title in twenty thirteen. She was
born in Pittsburgh but raised in Canton, Michigan, and she
was inducted into the Michigan.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Hall of Fame in twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
A leading voice and mental health advocacy, she graduated with
her master's degree in social work from Arizona State University
in twenty twenty three. A former longtime training partner of
Michael Phelps under famed coach Bob Bowman, her fiance proposed
to her using phelps four kids as assistants wearing T
shirts at Red Wind.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Will you marry?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Me.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It's Alison Schmidt.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Hi, Alison, Hi, nice to talk with you.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, when's the wedding. Has it happened yet?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
It has not happened yet, but by the end of
the year. So I'm a little bit different though, because
I feel like I'm the girl that never really thought
about weddings or marriage and so I'm very nonchalant about it,
and so is he. But I've always dreamed about kids
and having twins, so I'm manifesting that right now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, so we're skipping the wedding straight to the pro creating.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Will Will Phelps.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And company and family and kiddos be a part of
the wedding as well.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Of course. Yes, there's such a big part of my.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Life, ring bears and flower girls and such.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Like I said, we have been so nonchalant. We don't
have the details yeah yet, And I mean all the
type eight people might be like, wait, this is not okay,
but I'm being this. I'm type being this, so you're.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Fine with it.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
There are some good qualities about laid back, nonchalant people.
I don't have any of those qualities, but I respect
them and others. So in your intro, I listed off
all your incredible accomplishments in the pool.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What kind of competitor were you?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Were you the sort of slow and steady worker, We'll
see what happens. Were you pushed by compliments? Where you
pushed by criticism, responsive to yelling, more responsive to support?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
What was it like all the above? I ultimately got
into sport because of the fun, like having the teammates,
the camaraderie. And I definitely was pushed by the encouragement
in A that is the affirmations, but B that's a
little bit of the yelling as well. And so that's
(03:41):
why I say all of the above.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So were you type B in the pool as well?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
It feels like you'd need to have some sort of
aggression and type A personality to be such a winner.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think that my personality is type B A, so
I still have that a personality, and so in the
pool and in competing, I had that, But in other
parts of my life I'm the B. But I also
know my coach was very, very very type A, so
I think he took over for that aspect of it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, he projected onto you the necessary qualities to make
it happen. Make it work, Okay, I want you to
picture one of your biggest races.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Which one first came to mind.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
The two hundred free in London twenty twelve Olympics. Why
I think that it's the biggest race. Obviously because of
media it's the biggest race first individual gold medal, But
for me it was a big race because Stania and
that podium at the end of when we get our medals,
(04:41):
I looked on one side and saw my family cheering,
looked on the other side, saw ten USA cheering, and
in front of me, it's the national anthem in the
flag being raised, and that just represents everyone back home
that has supported and cheered me to the top of
the podium. And in that moment and in that I
realized that yes, I was the one that put in
(05:03):
the work and did the work, but at the end
of the day, it was all the support and all
the help that I had that got me there.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Wow. And it's the one that stands out still was
the first.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yes, yeah, they all have meaning, they all have different meanings,
but that one when you had me picture, it is
the one that came to mind.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, how often are you swimming these days?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I got in the pool on yesterday or two days ago,
So I really like to do it for fitness and
forget ant Hanne and if my friends are doing it,
So it's definitely that social aspect, but I understand I
am better at that than being on land, so I'm
more If someone calls me up and says, hey, let's
(05:47):
go do a swim, I'm like, okay, let's go.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Is it a calm and meditative space for you now
that you're not competing or when you get back in,
does your body sort of inhabit the feelings that you
had when you used to get in to compete.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
The pool is home and it is calming because I'm
not getting yelled at and I don't have a specific workout.
But at the same time, it's just no matter if
I was competing or if I get in. Now is
just a very familiar space, in a comfortable space.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You have become super active in mental health advocacy, and
it's actually a cause that's been important to you dating
back many years. You mentioned London, and it was at
the London Olympics that you came home successful, a winner,
a gold medalist, but found that you were suffering from depression.
You eventually decided to talk to Michael Phelps, to talk
to your coach Bob Bowman in early twenty fifteen. What
(06:40):
was it like that time coming back, getting celebrated, getting
heralded for your success, and maybe not feeling like how
you were feeling matched what everyone else felt about your
time in London?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Terrifying, absolutely terrified and every aspect. I didn't really understand
what I was and there wasn't I mean, this is
twenty twelve. There wasn't really much information about it, and
I kind of dug myself into a deeper hole with comparison.
Like they say now, and as I understand now, comparison
(07:13):
is a theft of joy, and that comparison wasn't really
recognizing that I was not feeling okay. It was more
of comparing I have all of these great aspects of
my life. What do I have to complain about? And
now as I've gotten older and I've experienced more and
(07:33):
talking at other people, I describe it as what you
know in that part of your life is all you know. So,
for instance, when a five year old drops or ice
cream cone and it is the end of the world,
it's the end of their world. As an adult, you'll
understand and be like, we can just go get another
(07:54):
ice cream, but they are not able to process that
they can go get another ice cream in the joy
that they're holding was just dropped.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, so you come back, it's twenty twelve. Everyone wants
to celebrate you. Did you feel like it might be
the standard Olympic letdown? Had you heard about the Olympic
letdown that so many talk about and did you chalk
it up to just that at first and then think
it was something beyond that?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Again, that wasn't really talked about back then. It was
still a taboo subject and I didn't really experience it
too much after two thousand and eight because I went.
I was thrown into a whole new experience. I went
to college and new friends, new living on your own
for the first time, new environment, new state, new place,
(08:40):
all of that. So when I came back from twenty twelve,
I really had no idea what to expect. It was
not prepped in any way what to expect, And as
I was getting celebrated, I was very, very very grateful
for getting celebrated. And I remember one time I excuse
myself to the bathroom because I didn't want to cry
(09:02):
in front of people. And at that moment is when
I really realized that something was wrong.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Right, So you didn't talk to your family at first.
You told Michael and Bob, your coach, and there was
an incident that happened in your family that made you think,
I really need to speak out more about this and
talk about it, not only to the people close to me,
but maybe even publicly.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Can you tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yeah, So again, that took two and a half years
until I even spoke about it. So it took a
long time to speak about it. In speaking about it, it
was scary, but it was also it was my explosion.
So if you think about a rice cooker and if
you don't take the top off and you explode, that
was me at that moment. And so I just happened
(09:50):
to explode at that moment with Michael and Bob and Keenan,
and they listened and they really supported me in that,
and they understood that I needed help and there's help
out there and they can help me get that help.
So that's what I did when I came back from
that meat is I got help right away. I felt
(10:12):
like there was still just a taboo with asking for help.
Including myself. I judged myself for asking for help in
those moments because again, what my life from the an
outsider looks so perfect? So what could possibly be going
wrong in my life? Why do I need help? And
(10:32):
it took until another five months later when my cousin
committed suicide where I realized this is a much bigger
problem than just myself or just a few other people.
And a lot of other people are out there, and
a lot of other people are chasing perfection, which is
(10:53):
what I was doing at the Olympic stage, and all
these people chasing perfection lose track of in everyday reality,
in the support that we have, and even the feeling
of being loved. And if I could speak about my
own experience, I hopefully can save a life out there
(11:13):
so that someone else can continue living their life. That
I mean, life is just so beautiful and everyone deserves
happiness and joy and success, and so for them, for
that person that survivor, as well as the families that
have to grieve a loss of their loved ones.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, you talk about back in twenty twelve, It doesn't
feel like it's that long ago. But even then, there
just weren't the same conversations, and so that information is
so vital for people to recognize whether it is a
depression or a feeling that comes on due to an event,
an experience, or whether it's just chemical right that's the
(11:57):
way their brain operates, and whether or not things are
going great or poorly. There is a potential to slip
into those moments, and if you don't talk about it,
you don't learn about it. It can feel very isolating.
After talking to Michael and Bob and after telling your family,
how did you decide to take control of that in
your career? How did you manage the fact that you
(12:18):
knew that you now had this to deal with in
addition to your regular training and preparation for meat.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I think the first thing is understanding that you can
take breaks, you can ask for help, and you can
still be strong. All of that in the same sentence.
I was able to get the support I needed from
a professional level by going to talk to a therapist,
and that was a little bit of weight off my shoulders,
(12:46):
and I'm sure off the people I love shoulders. If
I'm so called, I guess dumping something. Yeah, they might
ask me every day, Hey, how are you doing? How
are you doing, but talking to a therapist, it was Okay,
I go see you every week, and then I don't
see you again for a whole week, and so you
can't ask me in my everyday life, from every day
(13:07):
schedule how I'm doing, which honestly is kind of an
annoying question that I would get a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, I mean people who want to help and mean
to help. But also there's something about the feeling that
if you're going to reveal all these emotions, that the
person you're talking to is trained and educated to help
you process them in a way that even if your
family is well meaning, they might not be. So what
kind of tools did you acquire, if you're willing to share,
what have you found most useful personally for managing your
(13:40):
mental health struggles alongside your swimming.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I would say journaling is one, and for me, journaling
isn't necessarily just writing everything down, but I also journal
through pictures, and I love managing that I'm both at
so going back now and like reading journals and even
(14:03):
going back and looking at photos that I took and
screenshots I took of quotes, et cetera. But self care
is really what a big tool that I took out
of therapy because I always thought self care was, oh,
go get your nails done, go bake cookies. And what
(14:24):
I now understand is self care is so much more
than that, and it's really listening to yourself and listening
to your inner self, understand what you need in that moment.
And if you're able to do that with yourself, then
when someone else asks you what you need, it's a
lot easier to ask that than to bottle it up.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, you mentioned this, but how do we sort of
change the definition of strength to include being able to
ask for help? That is an incredible strength, to let
people know you're struggling, to ask for help, to be
vulnerable in that way, and yet in a lot of places,
it's still very stigmatized.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Understanding that life is much bigger than the moment you're in,
or much bigger than this sport you're in. Understanding yes
we are chasing perfection, Yes we are working hard, and
yes we want that perfection, but you don't have to
be perfect in order to belong. You belong in this
(15:25):
world for so many other reasons than being perfect. And
I like to de describe it as you can tell
maybe through this conversation. I like to use analogies a lot,
and one of my favorite analogies is a puzzle and
every puzzle piece is different. But if there's one puzzle
piece missing, the whole puzzle is done. It's never completed.
(15:48):
And so if you're able to really understand that you
don't have to be perfect, and you can be your
own puzzle piece throughout this game of life, then everything
else will be complete and everything else will fall into order.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yeah, you bring up the word perfect a whole lot,
and I understand.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
In swimming there are tiny, little minute details that can
make the difference between a winner or loss, can make
the difference between a pr and you know, swimming slower
than previous races. So it's important to pay attention to
every bit of your body, to every down to the
tip of your toes. And yet also understanding that perfection
(16:27):
as a goal in life is impossible. How did you
find a balance of saying I still want to win
and I want to do as well as I can,
but the goal can never truly be perfection.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
It just has to be maybe a little bit better.
As often as I can.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Be understanding what goal setting is into me, goal setting
as a kid. I was not this kid, but this
is an example is I'm an eleven year old kid
and I want to make it to Olympics. Okay, so
you go from here to here? What's all the in between?
So what's all the steps? And so understanding what the
(17:04):
journey is in the steps and the processes to those
big goals and working on those little goals and little
steps every single day is what gets you to that
big step. And once you are to that big goal,
as human beings, as competitors, there's always something next. There's
always that next goal. You're never satisfied, and so really
(17:26):
understanding that it's not necessarily about that destination so called,
but the journey to get that destination.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yeah, we hear that a lot in talking to Olympic
athletes in particular. I mean many athletes who have high
goals and are high achieving, but those that play every
single year and have more opportunities to win, I think
feel it a little less than those that wait four
years for this crowning achievement of what's been their life's work.
I think some might ask, you, know, it's easy for
(17:54):
you to say this because you already won. You already
won so much so when you go in and give
people a message life is about more than winning. Do
you think you personally would have been able to accept
that message before the medals.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yes, because I did. I did in two thousand and eight.
So in two thousand and eight is kind of what
got me to the next Olympics two twenty twelve, to
those medals that I won in twenty twelve. And that's
because in two thousand and eight, I was knight by
Woman hundreds, so I did not get to compete in
finals and then Tunia Freestyle and that's what I used
(18:28):
as my fuel and as my motivation for those next
four years. And so I completely understand that we have egos.
Every single human being, no matter if you're an athlete
or not, has some type of ego, but really understanding
how big this life is, because I'm sure there's people
(18:49):
in the music industry that have never even watched the Olympics,
and then there's me who doesn't completely understand the music industry.
Yet we probably have very parallel LIFs that can understand
each other, and so understanding who you are as a
from the core and finding those connections rather than sitting
(19:12):
back and saying well, I've been at the top of
my sport or I've been at the top of my
career and I know everything. Because even now, even being
at the top of my sport, I still don't know everything.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah, you know, when you find that balance between being
ambitious while also being satisfied, you can kind of be
in that sweet spot of I know what I want
and I know the work that it's going to take
to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
But I also, like you said, it's the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
It's the respecting the everyday processes that can get you there.
We got to take a quick break more with Alison
Schmidt right after this. I want to talk about today's
landscape of youth swimming. How do you think it compares
to what it was like when you were growing up.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Youth sports in general is a whole nother pressure, and
that pressure comes from a lot, I think from social media.
We can't ignore the advances we have in technology in
the social media, So how do we educate on that?
And that's where we're not ignoring the fact that there's
(20:22):
social media out there and that there might be body
image issues or muscles don't look cool on TikTok, there
might be some of those messages out there, But how
can we educate that being strong is still sexy, being
(20:42):
vulnerable is sexy, and all of that is still a
great quality to have while encouraging others to find what
they're passionate about and not have to mimic or compare
to another person. But definitely comes back to the pressures
that are real from social media and other media outlets
(21:05):
as well.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, there's a lot of gift in everything being recorded
these days. You can go back and watch all your
swims and see how you did. Your family can go
watch them later. But it also means that everything is
watched doubly or multiple times, in a way that I
think affects even sometimes what sports kids want to get into,
(21:27):
and that I think is really tough. I've seen stories
about girls picking their sport based on what the uniform
looks like, understanding that they're going to be constantly photographed
and videoed while doing it, which is something we never
really thought about when I was growing up.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
We just played what we loved.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
What surprises you when you talk to young people about
mental health these.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Days, how open they are about it, which is great.
They're open to talking in When I speak to parents
or coaches. I say, just listen. That's a piece of
advice that I love to give the older generations, because
the younger generations love to talk and they will say anything,
(22:09):
and they will say the truth. It's just the matter
if someone's gonna listen to them. And so I really
love how the younger generation is so open and honest,
and I would love for them to have that support
from the older generations to be able to feel supported
through these tough times of puberty, of their teenage years,
(22:32):
of middle school years, of the transition of going to
college and out of college in all of that. But
how do we support them by what they need? And
they're telling us what they need.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, you've actually partnered with Surge by BSN Sports. It's
a new initiative that's trying to help high school and
college athletes in a more holistic way where you're looking
both at performance but also at the community around them,
emotional wellness, their mental health, like trying to look at
the athlete as a whole being. How is working with
SARG been for you and how are you kind of
(23:03):
being a part of the conversations that they're trying to have.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
I absolutely love our mission to as a holistic approach,
and the tools that we give these coaches in these athletes,
I think is so beneficial to help them succeed and
not only help them succeed in their sport and get
that metal or get that goal, but help prepare them
(23:27):
for later in life, give them the confidence to be
who they are in not having to conform to others
to fit in. Because again, strength is beauty in confidence
is beauty.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, And like I think, as you get older, you
understand that being unique and special and different is the
thing that sets you apart from everyone and makes you
actually truly desirable and interesting. But when you're a kid,
you just want to fit in. You just want to
be like everyone else. Anything that makes you stand out
is tough. So it's those conversations of ensuring that kids
(24:01):
understand that they can be confident in their differences too.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
You know, you went.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
From being at the top of the world to now
looking to find satisfaction in other places.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
And a lot of really elite.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Athletes struggle to find a job once they're done with athletics,
to figure out how to be competitive or compelled to
work hard in a space that isn't quite the same.
So how do you go from being the best in
the world and having all of these skills that made
you a great swimmer to doing something different?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And do you have advice for maybe athletes that are.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Just going to come out of college and that's the
end for them, or ending their pro career, who are
figuring out the next step.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Letting go of that ego, understanding that yes, you may
have been the best in your sport, but that doesn't
mean you're the best in every aspect of life. And
so if you're able to learn something from someone else,
or if you're able to get have a mentor do that,
that is so significant and has been a significant part
of my transition into the real world, I guess everyone
(25:05):
would say. But there's also a huge grieving period. There's
a grieving period of not necessarily when I read online
what grieving period is after this, it's I don't have
an identity. I don't know who I am outside of sport.
I never felt that way. It was more of I
dedicated my life to this for so long, and I
(25:26):
made all these sacrifices, as well as all these other
people who made these sacrifices. So now it's almost like
I have to do more for these other people who
had these sacrifices. But what I realize now is my
support system made those sacrifices because they loved me and
that they wanted to see me succeed. They're not expecting
(25:47):
anything in return, And so really letting go of that
guilt that I felt. I don't know if anyone else
feels that, but that guilt that I not only put
my whole life on hold, but everyone around me put
their life on hold for my success. So that was
a huge grieving process to really get through and understand
(26:08):
that I have come back to my core and who
I am and do self core for myself, and then
I'm able to radiate that love and radiate that hard
work that the skills that I have learned through sport
to be successful in any aspect of my life that
I am now passionate about, which I'm lucky to find
(26:29):
this team with Surge and really help empower these younger
generations to continue in sport and learn resilience and learn
confidence and really be proud of who they are.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
When you have a bad day these days, which I'm
sure you still do sometimes no matter how much work
you've done. No matter how robust the toolkit, you're still
going to have one of those days.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Handle it and how do you keep from being hard
on yourself that that still happens.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
I'm still trying to learn, aren't we all. But I
coming back to my core, and that's coming back to
self care. Sometimes that's journaling. Sometimes that's going for a walk.
Sometimes it's going for a swim, going into the gym,
talking to someone, picking up the phone and calling my mom.
It changes every day, but really understanding what I need
(27:24):
and sitting with those feelings and understanding what I need
in that moment is really what gets me through those
hard times. And that doesn't mean that I don't cry,
because sometimes I need that good cry, and I need
that good cry to then look in the mirror and
say you got this, You are strong, you are capable,
and to get back up on my feet and try again.
(27:47):
I was talking to some kids the other day and
ask them what they're most proud about, and a lot
of them said they didn't really know. So I said,
I'll go first, and I'm proud of myself because I
am able to stand up after failure and I can
tell myself. You can do hard things and then I'm
(28:09):
able to continue on with my day and figure out
how to get over that hump and to find my successes.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I mean that's the key to all the work, right,
is so that when the moment hits you say, I've
been here before. Here's my set of tools, here's the
one I need today, and here's how I'm gonna get
myself out of this and get back on the right
side of my day. Well, congratulations on your incredible success
in the pool and now the success outside of it
and all the work you're doing.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Thanks so much for the time.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yes, thank you so much. It's great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
Thanks again to Alison for taking the time. We got
to take another break back in a jiff. Welcome back slices.
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So here's our good game play of the day.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Follow Allison on social media and follow a couple of
mental health related orgs we love as well, like to
write Love on her Arms and No Me the National
Alliance on Mental Illness.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We'll link to all three of them in the show notes.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
We always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two oh
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
Do it right now, scroll down five stars, tell us
you love us. It really helps, I promise, and it's
super easy. Watch Filling your mental health toolbox with tools,
(29:37):
rating five out of five ways to get right review.
It's so important to listen to your body and your
mind and have go to tools for those moments when
things feel particularly overwhelming or those days when you just
can't seem to get out of your funk. I've got
a few go tos when my news watching or news
scrolling suddenly hits too hard, and they include putting down
(29:58):
my phone, going on on a long walk with one
of my dogs, getting out in nature, lying down somewhere quiet,
and listening to Taylor Swift's Folklore that album just seems
to do the trick for me, or doing box breaths
and doing one or all of those right when I
feel the darkness or overwhelm coming on keeps me from
syncing into it. So start thinking about your own tricks
(30:20):
and tools ahead of time, so you've got a plan,
and remember you can always reach out to friends and family.
Community and connection are the best way to power through
those tough times.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, y'all.
See you tomorrow. Good game, Allison, Good game.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
To all the progress made in destigmatizing mental health.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Few bad days. You know it's normal to have them,
but doesn't mean they don't suck.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(31:09):
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Production assistance from Avery Loftist and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're screaming
congrats to our girl, Kate Scott, who is just named
the lead play by play voice for USA Network's WNBA
coverage next summer, The Most Deserving. It's Thursday, October ninth,
and on today's show, we'll be skipping the need to
know and getting right to my conversation with retired swimmer
and ten time Olympic medallist Alison Schmidt. Tomorrow is World
(00:23):
Mental Health Day, so I caught up with Alison to
talk about her experience seeking help for mental health, how
her advocacy work has reshaped her own identity, why it's
important to include vulnerability as a sign of strength, and
redefining what self care actually means. I so appreciated Allison's
willingness to speak so openly about her own struggles and challenges,
(00:43):
and it's really clear that her advocacy on this topic
has already had a huge impact on making sure conversations
like these are no longer held only in private. So
this is a good one. Stay tuned slices. Also, I
was in New York City hosting a WNBA final celebration
for iHeart on Wednesday night and watching Game three of
the finals with a big old crew of hoopeads. So
(01:04):
no Game three reaction today, but don't worry. You'll get
that analysis plus a look ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
To Game four in tomorrow's show. All Right, My interview
with Alison's coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Joining US now, she's the former captain of the US
Olympic swim team, a four time Olympian, ten time Olympic medalist,
and twenty five time medallist in major international competitions. A
four time NCAA national champion, she helped her Georgia Bulldogs
win the NCAA team title in twenty thirteen. She was
born in Pittsburgh but raised in Canton, Michigan, and she
was inducted into the Michigan.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Hall of Fame in twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
A leading voice and mental health advocacy, she graduated with
her master's degree in social work from Arizona State University
in twenty twenty three. A former longtime training partner of
Michael Phelps under famed coach Bob Bowman, her fiance proposed
to her using phelps four kids as assistants wearing T
shirts at Red Wind.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Will you marry?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Me.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It's Alison Schmidt.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Hi, Alison, Hi, nice to talk with you.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, when's the wedding. Has it happened yet?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
It has not happened yet, but by the end of
the year. So I'm a little bit different though, because
I feel like I'm the girl that never really thought
about weddings or marriage and so I'm very nonchalant about it,
and so is he. But I've always dreamed about kids
and having twins, so I'm manifesting that right now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, so we're skipping the wedding straight to the pro creating.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Will Will Phelps.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And company and family and kiddos be a part of
the wedding as well.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Of course. Yes, there's such a big part of my.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Life, ring bears and flower girls and such.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Like I said, we have been so nonchalant. We don't
have the details yeah yet, And I mean all the
type eight people might be like, wait, this is not okay,
but I'm being this. I'm type being this, so you're.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Fine with it.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
There are some good qualities about laid back, nonchalant people.
I don't have any of those qualities, but I respect
them and others. So in your intro, I listed off
all your incredible accomplishments in the pool.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What kind of competitor were you?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Were you the sort of slow and steady worker, We'll
see what happens. Were you pushed by compliments? Where you
pushed by criticism, responsive to yelling, more responsive to support?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
What was it like all the above? I ultimately got
into sport because of the fun, like having the teammates,
the camaraderie. And I definitely was pushed by the encouragement
in A that is the affirmations, but B that's a
little bit of the yelling as well. And so that's
(03:41):
why I say all of the above.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So were you type B in the pool as well?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
It feels like you'd need to have some sort of
aggression and type A personality to be such a winner.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think that my personality is type B A, so
I still have that a personality, and so in the
pool and in competing, I had that, But in other
parts of my life I'm the B. But I also
know my coach was very, very very type A, so
I think he took over for that aspect of it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, he projected onto you the necessary qualities to make
it happen. Make it work, Okay, I want you to
picture one of your biggest races.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Which one first came to mind.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
The two hundred free in London twenty twelve Olympics. Why
I think that it's the biggest race. Obviously because of
media it's the biggest race first individual gold medal, But
for me it was a big race because Stania and
that podium at the end of when we get our medals,
(04:41):
I looked on one side and saw my family cheering,
looked on the other side, saw ten USA cheering, and
in front of me, it's the national anthem in the
flag being raised, and that just represents everyone back home
that has supported and cheered me to the top of
the podium. And in that moment and in that I
realized that yes, I was the one that put in
(05:03):
the work and did the work, but at the end
of the day, it was all the support and all
the help that I had that got me there.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Wow. And it's the one that stands out still was
the first.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yes, yeah, they all have meaning, they all have different meanings,
but that one when you had me picture, it is
the one that came to mind.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, how often are you swimming these days?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I got in the pool on yesterday or two days ago,
So I really like to do it for fitness and
forget ant Hanne and if my friends are doing it,
So it's definitely that social aspect, but I understand I
am better at that than being on land, so I'm
more If someone calls me up and says, hey, let's
(05:47):
go do a swim, I'm like, okay, let's go.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Is it a calm and meditative space for you now
that you're not competing or when you get back in,
does your body sort of inhabit the feelings that you
had when you used to get in to compete.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
The pool is home and it is calming because I'm
not getting yelled at and I don't have a specific workout.
But at the same time, it's just no matter if
I was competing or if I get in. Now is
just a very familiar space, in a comfortable space.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You have become super active in mental health advocacy, and
it's actually a cause that's been important to you dating
back many years. You mentioned London, and it was at
the London Olympics that you came home successful, a winner,
a gold medalist, but found that you were suffering from depression.
You eventually decided to talk to Michael Phelps, to talk
to your coach Bob Bowman in early twenty fifteen. What
(06:40):
was it like that time coming back, getting celebrated, getting
heralded for your success, and maybe not feeling like how
you were feeling matched what everyone else felt about your
time in London?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Terrifying, absolutely terrified and every aspect. I didn't really understand
what I was and there wasn't I mean, this is
twenty twelve. There wasn't really much information about it, and
I kind of dug myself into a deeper hole with comparison.
Like they say now, and as I understand now, comparison
(07:13):
is a theft of joy, and that comparison wasn't really
recognizing that I was not feeling okay. It was more
of comparing I have all of these great aspects of
my life. What do I have to complain about? And
now as I've gotten older and I've experienced more and
(07:33):
talking at other people, I describe it as what you
know in that part of your life is all you know. So,
for instance, when a five year old drops or ice
cream cone and it is the end of the world,
it's the end of their world. As an adult, you'll
understand and be like, we can just go get another
(07:54):
ice cream, but they are not able to process that
they can go get another ice cream in the joy
that they're holding was just dropped.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, so you come back, it's twenty twelve. Everyone wants
to celebrate you. Did you feel like it might be
the standard Olympic letdown? Had you heard about the Olympic
letdown that so many talk about and did you chalk
it up to just that at first and then think
it was something beyond that?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Again, that wasn't really talked about back then. It was
still a taboo subject and I didn't really experience it
too much after two thousand and eight because I went.
I was thrown into a whole new experience. I went
to college and new friends, new living on your own
for the first time, new environment, new state, new place,
(08:40):
all of that. So when I came back from twenty twelve,
I really had no idea what to expect. It was
not prepped in any way what to expect, And as
I was getting celebrated, I was very, very very grateful
for getting celebrated. And I remember one time I excuse
myself to the bathroom because I didn't want to cry
(09:02):
in front of people. And at that moment is when
I really realized that something was wrong.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Right, So you didn't talk to your family at first.
You told Michael and Bob, your coach, and there was
an incident that happened in your family that made you think,
I really need to speak out more about this and
talk about it, not only to the people close to me,
but maybe even publicly.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Can you tell us about that?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Yeah, So again, that took two and a half years
until I even spoke about it. So it took a
long time to speak about it. In speaking about it, it
was scary, but it was also it was my explosion.
So if you think about a rice cooker and if
you don't take the top off and you explode, that
was me at that moment. And so I just happened
(09:50):
to explode at that moment with Michael and Bob and Keenan,
and they listened and they really supported me in that,
and they understood that I needed help and there's help
out there and they can help me get that help.
So that's what I did when I came back from
that meat is I got help right away. I felt
(10:12):
like there was still just a taboo with asking for help.
Including myself. I judged myself for asking for help in
those moments because again, what my life from the an
outsider looks so perfect? So what could possibly be going
wrong in my life? Why do I need help? And
(10:32):
it took until another five months later when my cousin
committed suicide where I realized this is a much bigger
problem than just myself or just a few other people.
And a lot of other people are out there, and
a lot of other people are chasing perfection, which is
(10:53):
what I was doing at the Olympic stage, and all
these people chasing perfection lose track of in everyday reality,
in the support that we have, and even the feeling
of being loved. And if I could speak about my
own experience, I hopefully can save a life out there
(11:13):
so that someone else can continue living their life. That
I mean, life is just so beautiful and everyone deserves
happiness and joy and success, and so for them, for
that person that survivor, as well as the families that
have to grieve a loss of their loved ones.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, you talk about back in twenty twelve, It doesn't
feel like it's that long ago. But even then, there
just weren't the same conversations, and so that information is
so vital for people to recognize whether it is a
depression or a feeling that comes on due to an event,
an experience, or whether it's just chemical right that's the
(11:57):
way their brain operates, and whether or not things are
going great or poorly. There is a potential to slip
into those moments, and if you don't talk about it,
you don't learn about it. It can feel very isolating.
After talking to Michael and Bob and after telling your family,
how did you decide to take control of that in
your career? How did you manage the fact that you
(12:18):
knew that you now had this to deal with in
addition to your regular training and preparation for meat.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I think the first thing is understanding that you can
take breaks, you can ask for help, and you can
still be strong. All of that in the same sentence.
I was able to get the support I needed from
a professional level by going to talk to a therapist,
and that was a little bit of weight off my shoulders,
(12:46):
and I'm sure off the people I love shoulders. If
I'm so called, I guess dumping something. Yeah, they might
ask me every day, Hey, how are you doing? How
are you doing, but talking to a therapist, it was Okay,
I go see you every week, and then I don't
see you again for a whole week, and so you
can't ask me in my everyday life, from every day
(13:07):
schedule how I'm doing, which honestly is kind of an
annoying question that I would get a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, I mean people who want to help and mean
to help. But also there's something about the feeling that
if you're going to reveal all these emotions, that the
person you're talking to is trained and educated to help
you process them in a way that even if your
family is well meaning, they might not be. So what
kind of tools did you acquire, if you're willing to share,
what have you found most useful personally for managing your
(13:40):
mental health struggles alongside your swimming.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
I would say journaling is one, and for me, journaling
isn't necessarily just writing everything down, but I also journal
through pictures, and I love managing that I'm both at
so going back now and like reading journals and even
(14:03):
going back and looking at photos that I took and
screenshots I took of quotes, et cetera. But self care
is really what a big tool that I took out
of therapy because I always thought self care was, oh,
go get your nails done, go bake cookies. And what
(14:24):
I now understand is self care is so much more
than that, and it's really listening to yourself and listening
to your inner self, understand what you need in that moment.
And if you're able to do that with yourself, then
when someone else asks you what you need, it's a
lot easier to ask that than to bottle it up.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, you mentioned this, but how do we sort of
change the definition of strength to include being able to
ask for help? That is an incredible strength, to let
people know you're struggling, to ask for help, to be
vulnerable in that way, and yet in a lot of places,
it's still very stigmatized.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Understanding that life is much bigger than the moment you're in,
or much bigger than this sport you're in. Understanding yes
we are chasing perfection, Yes we are working hard, and
yes we want that perfection, but you don't have to
be perfect in order to belong. You belong in this
(15:25):
world for so many other reasons than being perfect. And
I like to de describe it as you can tell
maybe through this conversation. I like to use analogies a lot,
and one of my favorite analogies is a puzzle and
every puzzle piece is different. But if there's one puzzle
piece missing, the whole puzzle is done. It's never completed.
(15:48):
And so if you're able to really understand that you
don't have to be perfect, and you can be your
own puzzle piece throughout this game of life, then everything
else will be complete and everything else will fall into order.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yeah, you bring up the word perfect a whole lot,
and I understand.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
In swimming there are tiny, little minute details that can
make the difference between a winner or loss, can make
the difference between a pr and you know, swimming slower
than previous races. So it's important to pay attention to
every bit of your body, to every down to the
tip of your toes. And yet also understanding that perfection
(16:27):
as a goal in life is impossible. How did you
find a balance of saying I still want to win
and I want to do as well as I can,
but the goal can never truly be perfection.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
It just has to be maybe a little bit better.
As often as I can.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Be understanding what goal setting is into me, goal setting
as a kid. I was not this kid, but this
is an example is I'm an eleven year old kid
and I want to make it to Olympics. Okay, so
you go from here to here? What's all the in between?
So what's all the steps? And so understanding what the
(17:04):
journey is in the steps and the processes to those
big goals and working on those little goals and little
steps every single day is what gets you to that
big step. And once you are to that big goal,
as human beings, as competitors, there's always something next. There's
always that next goal. You're never satisfied, and so really
(17:26):
understanding that it's not necessarily about that destination so called,
but the journey to get that destination.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Yeah, we hear that a lot in talking to Olympic
athletes in particular. I mean many athletes who have high
goals and are high achieving, but those that play every
single year and have more opportunities to win, I think
feel it a little less than those that wait four
years for this crowning achievement of what's been their life's work.
I think some might ask, you, know, it's easy for
(17:54):
you to say this because you already won. You already
won so much so when you go in and give
people a message life is about more than winning. Do
you think you personally would have been able to accept
that message before the medals.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Yes, because I did. I did in two thousand and eight.
So in two thousand and eight is kind of what
got me to the next Olympics two twenty twelve, to
those medals that I won in twenty twelve. And that's
because in two thousand and eight, I was knight by
Woman hundreds, so I did not get to compete in
finals and then Tunia Freestyle and that's what I used
(18:28):
as my fuel and as my motivation for those next
four years. And so I completely understand that we have egos.
Every single human being, no matter if you're an athlete
or not, has some type of ego, but really understanding
how big this life is, because I'm sure there's people
(18:49):
in the music industry that have never even watched the Olympics,
and then there's me who doesn't completely understand the music industry.
Yet we probably have very parallel LIFs that can understand
each other, and so understanding who you are as a
from the core and finding those connections rather than sitting
(19:12):
back and saying well, I've been at the top of
my sport or I've been at the top of my
career and I know everything. Because even now, even being
at the top of my sport, I still don't know everything.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah, you know, when you find that balance between being
ambitious while also being satisfied, you can kind of be
in that sweet spot of I know what I want
and I know the work that it's going to take
to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
But I also, like you said, it's the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
It's the respecting the everyday processes that can get you there.
We got to take a quick break more with Alison
Schmidt right after this. I want to talk about today's
landscape of youth swimming. How do you think it compares
to what it was like when you were growing up.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Youth sports in general is a whole nother pressure, and
that pressure comes from a lot, I think from social media.
We can't ignore the advances we have in technology in
the social media, So how do we educate on that?
And that's where we're not ignoring the fact that there's
(20:22):
social media out there and that there might be body
image issues or muscles don't look cool on TikTok, there
might be some of those messages out there, But how
can we educate that being strong is still sexy, being
(20:42):
vulnerable is sexy, and all of that is still a
great quality to have while encouraging others to find what
they're passionate about and not have to mimic or compare
to another person. But definitely comes back to the pressures
that are real from social media and other media outlets
(21:05):
as well.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Yeah, there's a lot of gift in everything being recorded
these days. You can go back and watch all your
swims and see how you did. Your family can go
watch them later. But it also means that everything is
watched doubly or multiple times, in a way that I
think affects even sometimes what sports kids want to get into,
(21:27):
and that I think is really tough. I've seen stories
about girls picking their sport based on what the uniform
looks like, understanding that they're going to be constantly photographed
and videoed while doing it, which is something we never
really thought about when I was growing up.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
We just played what we loved.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
What surprises you when you talk to young people about
mental health these.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Days, how open they are about it, which is great.
They're open to talking in When I speak to parents
or coaches. I say, just listen. That's a piece of
advice that I love to give the older generations, because
the younger generations love to talk and they will say anything,
(22:09):
and they will say the truth. It's just the matter
if someone's gonna listen to them. And so I really
love how the younger generation is so open and honest,
and I would love for them to have that support
from the older generations to be able to feel supported
through these tough times of puberty, of their teenage years,
(22:32):
of middle school years, of the transition of going to
college and out of college in all of that. But
how do we support them by what they need? And
they're telling us what they need.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, you've actually partnered with Surge by BSN Sports. It's
a new initiative that's trying to help high school and
college athletes in a more holistic way where you're looking
both at performance but also at the community around them,
emotional wellness, their mental health, like trying to look at
the athlete as a whole being. How is working with
SARG been for you and how are you kind of
(23:03):
being a part of the conversations that they're trying to have.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
I absolutely love our mission to as a holistic approach,
and the tools that we give these coaches in these athletes,
I think is so beneficial to help them succeed and
not only help them succeed in their sport and get
that metal or get that goal, but help prepare them
(23:27):
for later in life, give them the confidence to be
who they are in not having to conform to others
to fit in. Because again, strength is beauty in confidence
is beauty.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, And like I think, as you get older, you
understand that being unique and special and different is the
thing that sets you apart from everyone and makes you
actually truly desirable and interesting. But when you're a kid,
you just want to fit in. You just want to
be like everyone else. Anything that makes you stand out
is tough. So it's those conversations of ensuring that kids
(24:01):
understand that they can be confident in their differences too.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
You know, you went.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
From being at the top of the world to now
looking to find satisfaction in other places.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
And a lot of really elite.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Athletes struggle to find a job once they're done with athletics,
to figure out how to be competitive or compelled to
work hard in a space that isn't quite the same.
So how do you go from being the best in
the world and having all of these skills that made
you a great swimmer to doing something different?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And do you have advice for maybe athletes that are.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Just going to come out of college and that's the
end for them, or ending their pro career, who are
figuring out the next step.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Letting go of that ego, understanding that yes, you may
have been the best in your sport, but that doesn't
mean you're the best in every aspect of life. And
so if you're able to learn something from someone else,
or if you're able to get have a mentor do that,
that is so significant and has been a significant part
of my transition into the real world, I guess everyone
(25:05):
would say. But there's also a huge grieving period. There's
a grieving period of not necessarily when I read online
what grieving period is after this, it's I don't have
an identity. I don't know who I am outside of sport.
I never felt that way. It was more of I
dedicated my life to this for so long, and I
(25:26):
made all these sacrifices, as well as all these other
people who made these sacrifices. So now it's almost like
I have to do more for these other people who
had these sacrifices. But what I realize now is my
support system made those sacrifices because they loved me and
that they wanted to see me succeed. They're not expecting
(25:47):
anything in return, And so really letting go of that
guilt that I felt. I don't know if anyone else
feels that, but that guilt that I not only put
my whole life on hold, but everyone around me put
their life on hold for my success. So that was
a huge grieving process to really get through and understand
(26:08):
that I have come back to my core and who
I am and do self core for myself, and then
I'm able to radiate that love and radiate that hard
work that the skills that I have learned through sport
to be successful in any aspect of my life that
I am now passionate about, which I'm lucky to find
(26:29):
this team with Surge and really help empower these younger
generations to continue in sport and learn resilience and learn
confidence and really be proud of who they are.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
When you have a bad day these days, which I'm
sure you still do sometimes no matter how much work
you've done. No matter how robust the toolkit, you're still
going to have one of those days.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Handle it and how do you keep from being hard
on yourself that that still happens.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
I'm still trying to learn, aren't we all. But I
coming back to my core, and that's coming back to
self care. Sometimes that's journaling. Sometimes that's going for a walk.
Sometimes it's going for a swim, going into the gym,
talking to someone, picking up the phone and calling my mom.
It changes every day, but really understanding what I need
(27:24):
and sitting with those feelings and understanding what I need
in that moment is really what gets me through those
hard times. And that doesn't mean that I don't cry,
because sometimes I need that good cry, and I need
that good cry to then look in the mirror and
say you got this, You are strong, you are capable,
and to get back up on my feet and try again.
(27:47):
I was talking to some kids the other day and
ask them what they're most proud about, and a lot
of them said they didn't really know. So I said,
I'll go first, and I'm proud of myself because I
am able to stand up after failure and I can
tell myself. You can do hard things and then I'm
(28:09):
able to continue on with my day and figure out
how to get over that hump and to find my successes.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I mean that's the key to all the work, right,
is so that when the moment hits you say, I've
been here before. Here's my set of tools, here's the
one I need today, and here's how I'm gonna get
myself out of this and get back on the right
side of my day. Well, congratulations on your incredible success
in the pool and now the success outside of it
and all the work you're doing.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Thanks so much for the time.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yes, thank you so much. It's great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
Thanks again to Alison for taking the time. We got
to take another break back in a jiff. Welcome back slices.
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So here's our good game play of the day.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Follow Allison on social media and follow a couple of
mental health related orgs we love as well, like to
write Love on her Arms and No Me the National
Alliance on Mental Illness.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We'll link to all three of them in the show notes.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
We always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two oh
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
Do it right now, scroll down five stars, tell us
you love us. It really helps, I promise, and it's
super easy. Watch Filling your mental health toolbox with tools,
(29:37):
rating five out of five ways to get right review.
It's so important to listen to your body and your
mind and have go to tools for those moments when
things feel particularly overwhelming or those days when you just
can't seem to get out of your funk. I've got
a few go tos when my news watching or news
scrolling suddenly hits too hard, and they include putting down
(29:58):
my phone, going on on a long walk with one
of my dogs, getting out in nature, lying down somewhere quiet,
and listening to Taylor Swift's Folklore that album just seems
to do the trick for me, or doing box breaths
and doing one or all of those right when I
feel the darkness or overwhelm coming on keeps me from
syncing into it. So start thinking about your own tricks
(30:20):
and tools ahead of time, so you've got a plan,
and remember you can always reach out to friends and family.
Community and connection are the best way to power through
those tough times.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, y'all.
See you tomorrow. Good game, Allison, Good game.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
To all the progress made in destigmatizing mental health.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Few bad days. You know it's normal to have them,
but doesn't mean they don't suck.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(31:09):
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Production assistance from Avery Loftist and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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