SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history with 11 Olympic medals, went to a dark place after losing to Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell by 0.08 seconds in the 200 meters sprint at the 2008 Summer Games.
“I think it was hard for other people to understand,” said Felix, “because they look at a silver medal and it’s like, that’s amazing, and it is, and I was really grateful, but I think when you’ve dedicated yourself for so long … it was really devastating for me.”
Felix didn’t have the tools then she does now to pull herself out quickly from what she calls an embarrassing time. She’d waited four years to finish second … again.
“To be the favorite, and to want to make your country proud,” said Felix, “and you feel like you just want to disappear when you miss the mark.”
Remarkably, mountaintops can lead players to a similar place. 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA In Gee Chun sought help for depression after winning two majors early in her career. The pressure to be perfect took its toll. Chun has talked publicly about her battle for several years now, hoping she can help others.
“It’s not just me,” said Chun. “Everyone has their own hard time.”
Felix came to Baltusrol Golf Club on Wednesday to accept the KPMG Inspire Greatness Award and serve as the closing keynote speaker at the event’s Leadership Summit. The subject of mental health transcends from the boardroom to the locker room as female CEOs and athletes alike have experienced increased anxiety and stress in this post-pandemic era.
KPMG began regularly surveying its 40,000 U.S. employees in the wake of COVID-19 and heard back from roughly 25,000 on a variety of “How are you feeling?” questions. Laura Newinski, KPMG U.S. Deputy Chair and COO, said employees were coming to their managers for help on issues that weren’t related to work: stress about children and spouses or aging parents.
“We think that during the pandemic,” said Newinski, “people really turned to their employer as a trusted source of information … what’s the new rule set? They’re turning to employers now around a whole range of mental health challenges, not just work.”
KPMG conducted a survey of 1,500 executive women (SVP level and above) from Fortune 1,000 companies across the country on the rise on the rise in post-pandemic stress.
Ninety-one percent of women surveyed perceived an exponential surge of stress in the workplace…
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