SANTIAGO, Chile — Sydney Pickrem says depression and anxiety will be her constant companions, but she's able to navigate them by thinking of herself as a human first and a swimmer second.
"I've been in these positions before," Pickrem said Wednesday night at Santiago's Centre Acuatico. "I definitely had bad years and bad days and struggle with my mental health throughout the years. I don't think this was necessarily the first time. Sometimes I almost forget, once I'm doing well, to still check in and take care of myself.
"They were like 'but you're going to crush it.' I was like 'it's not worth it to me to just stick through and not be a happy human being.' Having to be vulnerable with 30 college guys is not easy, but it's really pushed me to be in this position now.""I had to lean on people for support," Pickrem said. "This sport sometimes is so individualized and you forget that you train with a team every day.
"Sometimes we forget, and we try and make ourselves just the best swimmer and we forget to even think of ourselves as a person. I just was thinking about what was the outcome for Sydney the swimmer, not Sydney the person."