British Olympian and distinguished diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix spoke about how she defied chronic mental health challenges in the last three years after falling short of winning the medal in the 10-meter individual platform.
According to the 19-year-old diver, she did not want to remain alive just three years ago after failing to put on an impressive show at the Tokyo Olympics.
Andrea still won the bronze medal in the 10-meter synchronized dive this year, but missing out on the individual medal left her in tears.
She admired her competitors, suggesting that they were better on the day when it mattered the most, which earned them the medals.
Andrea revealed that she was on the verge of leaving the sport after the Tokyo Olympics and suffered from “twisties,” which is a common mental barrier many gymnasts face. After that event, she entered into a prolonged battle against mental health problems.
During the emotional interview, she also recalled that her family was proud of her and advised her to keep smiling. The Olympian also mentioned that God wanted her to win big battles in life, which urged her to buckle up once again after the defeat, adding that losing one medal does not mean she is a bad athlete, and she is really proud of all her achievements.
Andrea further stated that her parents came to support her in the Olympic games because they witnessed her lowest points in life after the Tokyo defeat. She revealed that after successfully passing the “scary time,” she feels happy to be alive every morning. According to the athlete, she has developed herself not only as an athlete but also as an individual human being after all tough years.
Andrea was expecting an individual medal this time but did not manage to recover from her second dive, and China’s Hongchan Quan claimed the ultimate glory. Another Chinese diver won the silver, while North Korea clinched the bronze. The British athlete ended sixth in the event and missed the bronze with only 27 points.
After the unexpected defeat, her father, Fred Sirieix, who also hosts First Dates, tried to comfort her as she tried to make sense of her loss. Fred told his daughter that sportsmen are not meant to win every day, adding that she fought brilliantly till the end. He then took out his cell phone and showed Andrea all the congratulatory messages he received. Fred told Andrea about the messages that the whole country is proud of her efforts, and little girls are getting inspired back home and have already started trying diving.
Fred paid an emotional tribute to his daughter, stating that he was impressed by the optimism of her daughter as, despite not winning the medal, she would come out as a completely different human being the next morning.
The TV host added that they know Andrea had a rare off-day as she was tired, claiming that he is not giving excuses but only trying to accept things as they are.
