Abhinav Bindra during a virtual interaction and mental health and athletic performance on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The country’s first individual Olympic champion, Abhinav Bindra, gave a rare insight into the world of mental health and mental performance in a lively interaction with the founder and chairperson of Mpower, Mrs. Neerja Birla, on Friday.
In a virtual interaction, Abhinav touched upon his vulnerability and the void he had felt after winning the Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008.
“I was obsessed with the Olympic gold for 15 years. Once the dream was achieved, I felt drained and a void,” said Abhinav.
Pointing out that he had a psychologically safe environment with his parents, sister etc., Abhinav said that he sought professional help to tide over the crisis.
“I had to share my vulnerability. I had to speak frankly and honestly, to empower other athletes,” he said, as he dispelled the general feeling that ‘’athletes were immune to mental ill-health”.
“As athletes, we are dealing with success and failures every day. There are injuries, that take a physical and mental toll on us. When we stop enjoying the journey, there is a red flag,” said Abhinav.
“People found my behaviour strange. I was supposed to be on top of the world, with that Olympic gold,” said Abhinav, as he highlighted the importance of having a “security net of people who understand you and not judge you”.
Saying that he was surrounded by people who believed in him, Abhinav said that he could lean on them when he was struggling mentally.
“One of my coaches helped me through the situation, to get out of the void,” said Abhinav.
“We are human and vulnerable. I did a Vipasana meditation course, staying silent for 10 days. I could think back about my sport. I realised how I loved the process. I loved my journey, making the effort every single day. Happiness was my gold medal,” he recalled.
Dismissing the idea of winning at all cost, Abhinav said that it was important to, “winning well, prioritising your well-being”.
He said that athletes need to find the balance in their life, even as they stay glued to their “tunnel vision, trying to get better on the field of play”.
He hit the nail on the head by saying that human wellbeing was at the heart of performance.
“It decides how we react at critical moments. It helps athletes to succeed, and sustain the success,” he said.
Quite critical of his own approach, Abhinav said that he did not have “balance” as he was obsessed with performance and achieving his goals.
“I failed in realising my full potential,” he admitted. “I didn’t humanise my effort enough.”
Abhinav praised his parents for letting him try his path.
“My parents allowed me to make mistakes. It was valuable towards my goals. I had to own my failures, and own my success. When you are trying to shoot the last shot for the Olympic gold, you need the courage of conviction. That comes from growing as an individual over the years,” said Abhinav.
He applauded the efforts of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in having a mental health hotline, not just during the Olympics, but for four years, following “tons of work” on mental health.