Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall has spoken about her mental health issues, describing her week as “really tough“ ahead of the Diamond League track and field tournament in Eugene, USA, where she won the long jump, BTA reported.
Davis-Woodhall successfully defended her title at the Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon, defeating Italy's Larissa Iapicchino by 1 cm, after jumping 7.13 m to Iapicchino's 7.12 m.
“The battle this week was very tough“, Davis-Woodhall said after her victory.
“I'm struggling with some mental health issues. I just, you know, have depression. I have anxiety. This week has been really tough.“
The two-time Olympian has previously spoken openly about her mental health struggles, including periods when she considered quitting the sport.
Davis-Woodhall won the world championships in the long jump final in Tokyo last year and the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I couldn't imagine just being here for any reason,“ she said. “So the fact that I showed up today, the fact that I even gave myself a chance, is really big for me, and then to come away with a win, it just puts me in perspective that I have to give myself a chance every time.“