How AFLW Player Mikayla Bowen Is Tackling Mental Health Stigma
Back in June, female tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal from the French Open to focus on her mental health.
Her decision came after she was fined $US15,000 for failing to speak to the media after her first match in the tournament.
In a Twitter post, the Japanese athlete wrote that she had battled long bouts of depression since winning the US Open in 2018, and that facing the media often gives her waves of anxiety.
Like Osaka, US gymnast Simone Biles last week pulled out of the individual all-rounder, vault, uneven bars and floor finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games citing mental health concerns.
“After the performance I did I just didn’t want to go on,” Biles told the media.
“I have to focus on my mental health… we have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”
While Osaka and Biles have received loads of support from fans, a number of detractors claim elite athletes owe their success to media exposure.
Mental health for elite athletes—especially females—is something that is rarely addressed in the media. We caught up with West Coast Eagles Women’s player Mikayla Bowen, and told us about her own mental health struggles and how clubs can better support their athletes.
Image: @mikaylaabowen
“It’s so common in elite athletes,” Mikayla says when we ask about her thoughts on Osaka’s decision.
“It obviously shows how much an athlete like her—who everyone would assume has the most confidence in the world—even needs a break.”
Since 2020, Bowen has been playing in the AFLW in Australia. Though she’s only at the start of her journey being an elite athlete, she’s experienced in the struggles of being a female in a male-dominated industry.
“In the last two years I’ve gone through more mentally than I ever have. It is real and experiencing it myself allows me to understand what Naomi went through—albeit she’s under 10 times more pressure,” Bowen admits.
The pressure on sports stars in Australia is equally enormous, particularly for players in AFL.. People will shout players’ praise when the team is performing well but are quick to criticise when their form begins to dip. That challenge of appeasing fans is intensified for the AFLW, where acceptance of women playing the game hasn’t been easy.
“The whole image about being a female playing sport—some people can’t wrap their head around,” says Bowen.
“There are a lot of people who aren’t fans of AFLW. Like when 7AFL posts something on social media about the women, the comments are just atrocious. It’s common knowledge in AFLW that you just don’t read them.”
Image: @mikaylaabowen
As Bowen tells us, she puts a lot of pressure on herself to perform highly; a trait she believes many other athletes can relate to.
“One of the biggest things is anxiety around performance and always wanting to do better than you’ve done before—that’s what makes an elite athlete. Wanting to be the best you can and not being able to do that can do a lot to your head.”
So, how do elite athletes stay on top of their mental health and well-being? Bowen is in the fortunate position that West Coast Eagles consider mental health a priority.
“We have a designated well-being team which are there to make sure your mental health is where it needs to be," she says.
"We have the chaplains who are beautiful and people that want to help you. I find it hard to open up but having those people there really helps.”
On top of all the help that the club provides, the midfielder tries to stay off social media as much as possible, knowing that it is the biggest medium of external pressure for athletes.
“I love the fact I can see what my friends are doing but in reality, the entire platform of social media is fake and I’m not afraid to push that out. It has a huge impact on mental health too and that’s just the off season.”
Of course, avoiding social media is one thing, but not everyone has a professional sporting club to be their support network. Bowen isn’t oblivious to this and wants to see the AFL act at a grassroots level to help young people.
Image: @mikaylaabowen
“They should start it as soon as they can. There is no age limit on mental health, and it starts at different stages,” she says
“Obviously, we don’t need to tell five-year-olds all the nuts and bolts but just supporting them and letting them know it’s a real thing is just as important as physical health.”
Ultimately, this is what drives Bowen. Yes, she wants to make an impact as a football player, but when it comes to leaving a legacy, Bowen desires to inspire girls to do whatever they want to do.
“I ended up doing a carpentry apprenticeship—that’s the most uncommon thing a female could do. I don’t want young girls to think that because they’re a female they can’t play footy or something else.
“If they believe they can do it, then they can bloody do it, that’s for sure.”
Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.
Header Image: Supplied
