The transition to “normal” life is difficult — for some it is emotionally devastating — and even Olympic gold medals can’t protect you. I was shocked to learn that the swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 23 Olympic gold medals in his career, suffered from depression and thoughts of suicide after he retired. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. The challenge of adjusting to post-Olympic life is something that I, like most Olympians, was poorly equipped to face. These challenges didn’t always translate to emotional difficulties, but when they did, I often didn’t know what to do about them.

Source: New York Times February 24, 2018 19:52 UTC