Do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of your favorite athlete when they are going through a hard time? We’ve all heard many stories and read articles about issues faced by various athletes in our country. The media only ever talks about the incident that took place but never about how it affected the athlete. Now, how many athletes do you think suffer from mental health issues due to the press’s criticism?

Today, we have the story of a renowned athlete “Dutee Chand” who is a professional sprinter and national champion in the women’s 100-meter race. She faced a tremendous amount of trauma in the sports community due to lack of social acceptance which caused her to develop a mental disorder called PTSD. So, what is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD is a barrier to life that makes living in the present a constant challenge because it makes you feel stuck in the past.

Feeling terrified, dejected, concerned, and distant after a traumatic event is normal! However, if the anxiety and discomfort persist there is a heavy chance that you may have PTSD. Majority of people associate PTSD with physical, psychological, or sexual trauma which is true but today we would like to talk about those whose lives are exposed to the public—such as athletes, celebrities, etc.—who are also more likely to experience it. According to studies, athletes are more prone than the general population to suffer from it, as Dutee did.

In 2014, just 9 years back, Dutee was made to take a gender test. The test results said that she was suffering from hyperandrogenism, which meant that she had a higher level of male hormones, resulting in her ban by the AFI, also known as the Athletics Federation Of India. Her response to all of this was very plain and simple but it left a huge impact on other people, she said “I feel that it’s wrong to have to change your body for sports participation,”. “I’m not changing for anyone.” After this incident, dutee faced a lot of criticism from the media and society. “I cried for three straight days after reading what people were saying about me,” she said. Multiple athletes have had to face similar situations. Sports identity, ability, and competitive fairness have been contested before and Chand's case is not the first.

So let us help them in their fight and support them with the competitors and their mental health and not let them be unheard. Let them struggle on the field, not with their mental health!