Mental health issues has remained a recurring problem in the celebrity world, so whenever a famous person speaks out about their plans to focus more on their mental health, it calls for support.
Sadly, the word ‘support’ associated with MH, is not found in Piers Morgan‘s dictionary, as the former “Good Morning America” host slammed a legendary United Kingdom swimmer, Adam Peaty, for revealing that he would take time off from his sport to focus on his mental health.
In a series of tweets, Morgan insinuated that it is surgeons who have to operate on little babies that feel more pressure that can be interpreted to mental health issues. In other words, Peaty’s reason for wanting to focus on his mental health was not good enough because he isn’t a surgeon, neither is he trying to operate on infants.
Find out what social media users had to say about Morgan’s POV in the paragraphs below.
Adam Peaty Reveals Next Plans
In the early hours of Monday, August 2, 2021, two-time gold medalist, and one of Britain’s top swimmers, Peaty revealed that he plans to take a month-long break to focus on his mental health.
The athlete who has won two golds and a silver, and maintained his title as the best runner for the men’s 100 metres at the 2020 Olympics game in Tokyo, said that he has been going hard on himself for a long time, and he needed a break. BBC Sports acknowledged Peaty stating that “being an elite athlete involves a huge amount of pressure.”
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Furthermore, he noted that this month break would give him the chance to focus more on his mental health, so that in the future, he can be more prepared and relaxed.
This announcement comes after another Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles pulled out of some events due to her struggling mental health. Further tests were carried out that supported this claim, that the athlete was not fit mentally to compete in Tokyo.
While these athletes were supported by their fans worldwide, English broadcaster, Morgan, had differing opinions to give.
Piers Morgan Has Something To Say About Mental Health
Quoting a BBC Sport tweet, Morgan made an alarming comparison between the pressure that an athlete faces, and that of a surgeon who operates on babies.
“I love Peaty and he’s a great champion but we do need some perspective about sporting pressure. As an ENT doctor in LA once told me during a round of gold when I said he had a big pressure putt: ‘Real pressure is performing emergency tracheotomies on babies,” Morgan wrote.
Like always, this post attracted the attention of hundreds of Twitter users, who slammed the British journalist for his insensitivity regarding an athlete’s mental health.
One user commented saying: “….is your point here that elite sportspeople are not supposed to feel pressure? What a bizarre argument.”
Another user criticized Morgan saying: “Such a dumb argument. Both are clear examples of doing a job under pressure. I guess neither are more pressurised than being criticised by a weather man – but nobody can truly experience that sort of pressure and live to tell the tale.”
Some other commenters agreed with Morgan’s assertion that an athlete does not face enough pressure, compared to a surgeon who operates on babies.
A Back Story
Simone Biles is a decorated and skilled gymnast, who announced a few months ago that she would retire after the 2020 Olympic games. Unfortunately, the competition was moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The athlete noted during a recent interview that the pandemic added to her stress, and the fact that she had to wait another whole year before she could compete, took its toll on her.
When the Tokyo competition began, Biles was in no shape mentally to compete, and instead of pushing herself to the limit, she decided to step away from the competition. On July 31, 2021, an official announcement disclosed that Biles had been replaced by MyKayla Skinner on the vault and bars event.
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Fans praised Biles for her bravery and strength to be able to step away from the Olympics, and acknowledge that her mental strength would fail her if she did. However, Morgan saw her sacrifice from a different perspective.
He criticized the gymnast’s decision, calling it ‘an excuse for poor performance.’
“Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke,” Morgan wrote on his Twitter page. He added saying; “Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. Kids need strong role models not this nonsense.”
Mental Health Problems Are Real
Contrary to what people like Morgan thinks, mental health problems are one of the realest problems in the world. Many individuals have struggled with their mental health for a long time, and some got to a point where they couldn’t take it anymore.
Many celebrities have also spoken out on the dangers of overlooking mental health problems, as it can lead to devastating outcomes.
In the sports world, athletes pressurize themselves always to give better results. Like Peaty and Biles, anyone who is struggling with his or her mental health is encouraged to speak out and ask for help.
