フェルプス氏、メンタルヘルス啓発に注力　元競泳王者の現在

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】「サメ」を自称する元競泳男子のマイケル・フェルプス氏（３７）は現役時代、史上最高の選手になるという夢を追い求めて足を止めずにトレーニングを積んだ。歴代最多となる五輪での２３個を含め６０個以上の金メダルを獲得したが、メンタルヘルスを啓発するという現在の仕事以上に重みのあるメダルはないという。（写真は元競泳選手のマイケル・フェルプス氏）
　長年うつ病を隠した過去を持つフェルプス氏は、先日フランス・パリで開催されたイベントでＡＦＰのインタビューに応じ、引退後のキャリアは、現役中の過酷なスケジュール以上に多忙だと話した。
　「あと一つ金メダルを獲得するよりも、命を救う機会を持つことの方が重要だ」
　「われわれはあまりに多くのアスリートを自殺で失ってきた。もうこれ以上、五輪ファミリーのメンバーを失いたくない」
　金６個を含む計８個のメダルを獲得したアテネ五輪イヤーの２００４年に初めてうつの兆候が表れたというフェルプス氏。「競争は一番好きなことの一つだった。私はサメで、水中で血のにおいを嗅いで進み続けた」と当時を振り返る。公にすることは「弱さの表れで、ライバルを利する」と恐れていたと明かし、「生きていたくないという時期もあった」と話した。
　ドキュメンタリー作品「Ｔｈｅ Ｗｅｉｇｈｔ ｏｆ Ｇｏｌｄ」の制作に参加したフェルプス氏は、メンタルヘルスとの闘いを公表した女子テニスの大坂なおみと体操女子のシモーネ・バイルス（米国）を称賛した。
　「なおみをたたえなくてはならない。彼女はＳＮＳというプラットフォームで、自分が経験したことを自分の言葉で表現した。それは簡単なことではない」
　バイルスについては「彼女の場合、キャリア最大の瞬間（東京五輪）に起きてしまった。それがメンタルヘルスの病気がいかに予測不能であるかを示している」と指摘すると、「こんなふうにはじけるんだ」と指を鳴らし、「もっと多くの人が打ち明け、人々が築いてきたこの壁や境界を低くしていかないといけない」と訴えた。
　現在は６歳、４歳、３歳の３人の男の子の父親でもあるフェルプス氏。妻ニコールさんとの暮らしは「ノンストップで以前よりも忙しい。スポンサーと仕事をしたり、モチベーショナルスピーチをしたりして、世界中を飛び回っている」という。
　「（ニコールは）目が覚めて素晴らしい気分のときもあれば、その翌日は目覚めて全く違う人間になっているときもあると教えてくれる。そのバランスを取ることに尽きる」
　「これは永遠に解決することがないかもしれない継続的な旅になる」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/10/05-13:48）

A self-confessed shark in the water Michael Phelps trained non stop in pursuit of his all-consuming dream to become the greatest swimmer of all time.
But the 37-year-old disclosed that none of his 60 plus gold medals, including a record 23 in the Olympics, weigh more than his current career as a mental health advocate.
After years hiding his depression, Phelps told AFP in an interview at the Demain le sport (Sports Tomorrow) forum in Paris, his post-swimming career was even busier than his punishing schedule in the pool.
I'd rather have the opportunity to save a life then win another gold medal because this is way more important, said Phelps.
We have lost way too many Olympic athletes to suicide. I don't want to lose any more of my Olympic family members.
Phelps' depression first emerged in 2004, the year of his first Olympics in Athens when he won eight medals including six in gold.
Competing was one of my favourite things. I was a shark and smelt blood in the water and kept going, he said.
He feared opening up would be a sign of weakness, giving competitors an edge, adding: I went through a period where I didn't want to be alive.
Phelps, who was involved in the making of a documentary 'The Weight of Gold', praised tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics great Simone Biles for their openness.
I have to applaud Naomi, he told AFP. She went on her social media platform and expressed what she was going through in her own words.
That's not the easiest thing to do.
If you look at Simone Biles, she had that happen to her at the largest moment in her career.
It shows you how unexpected a mental health illness is. It can pop up like that, he said clicking his fingers.
We need more and more people who are opening up to share to lower down these walls, these boundaries that people have built up.
- 'Finding a balance' -
Now the father of three boys aged six, four and three his life with wife Nicole is non stop, busier than it was before, travelling all over the world, working with sponsors or doing motivational speeches.
(Nicole) can tell you there are days when I wake up and I feel great and the next day I can wake up and be a completely different human, so it's just trying to find that balance.
This is going to be an ongoing journey that may never get solved.
Finding ways to be your authentic self. I swim, we've built a gym in our garage. I write a journal.
We have a handful of tools that I can reach and use, that's just because of the work we've done to get to this point.
Phelps retired in 2016, after making a comeback for the Rio Olympics after a two-year hiatus from the sport.
It helped me to transition into that next chapter which is now mental health and to be able to find something that I'm passionate about and I struggle with.
It's like a win-win.
With no nostalgia for the punishing sport, Phelps said there was zero chance of following in the footsteps of his coach Bob Bowman.
In general you find the greats in sport aren't the best in coaching, look at Wayne Gretzky, he tried to coach an NHL team and that did not go very well, he said.
A role in USA Swimming or world governing body FINA are a possibility but, not right now.
I definitely wouldn't say no, but a lot needs to happen, there needs to be a lot of changes to be honest.
But he remains tuned into the issues of the sport and is in favour of an 'open category' for transgender swimmers.
I think there should be three classes men, women, trans, give everyone an equal opportunity to stand up and race.