MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: Q&A WITH SEVE DE CAMPO

Olympic cross country skier Seve de Campo is a passionate advocate for mental health, and recently took part in an Australian Institute of Sport initiative aimed at raising awareness in the community. 

The 25-year-old has been an ambassador in the 2022-23 AIS Mental Fitness Program, delivered in partnership with the Black Dog Institute.

The program sees current and former elite athletes deliver powerful talks to high school aged people about how to keep mentally fit through sharing evidence-based research and stories of resilience.

Since the program launched, athlete ambassadors have delivered presentations to more than 35,000 students across the country.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Seve gives us his thoughts on why mental health is so important to him.

Q: How have you enjoyed your experience delivering the Mental Fitness Program?
A: It’s been a great experience. It’s been a great balance between comfort and challenge.

I’ve welcomed the challenge of delivering talks about more sensitive topics in mental health, compared to some more general motivational talks I’ve done in the past. Throughout the ACT and NSW this program required the delivery of some important information on cultivating daily practices in mindfulness, gratitude and purpose. I learnt that the most effective way to deliver this type of talk was to combine anecdotal personal stories with relatable metaphors and concise discussion points.

I’ll finish this program with a greater confidence in the mental fitness space and a feeling of fulfilment that hopefully I made one student’s day a bit better.

Q: Why was it important for you to get involved? What makes you passionate about mental health?
A: It was important for me to get involved to grow my knowledge, and therefore confidence, to make a difference in this space. Mental fitness had become a growing theme in my life through communities at university, sport and with friends and I felt like it was the right time to build my skills and learn more to make a positive influence on those communities I’m apart of. 

Q: Athletes in your sport spend a lot of time away from home. Have you experienced the importance of maintaining good mental health first-hand, or witnessed what others have gone through?
A: I certainly have, spending time away from home has been the biggest kickstarter and ongoing factor on my mental health. I remember when I was 18 and spending a season at Falls Creek the year after I finished school and getting a bit of a shock over how I can’t take mental health for granted.

I learnt it requires knowing yourself, daily practice and respect. I think back then I just got a shock over only being a few hours from home yet still feeling homesick and unmotivated. Not being too hard on yourself is important. I’ve witnessed also a lot of my teammates go through stuff, COVID was obviously tough on people as it created an extra feeling of isolation whilst competing overseas. A big thing for me has been keeping a balance and having other things to do, uni, reading, hanging out with people or bringing the Pioneer DDJ-SB3* to Switzerland for COVID mixes.

Q: Why are athletes well-positioned to talk through the challenges of mental health with students?
A: Athletes are people that put their vulnerability on the line every day. Training for a goal is not easy and whilst it’s super important to share with people around you what your goal is and how you plan on achieving it, that can be really scary.

Failure or uncertainty are things athletes face all the time. Athletes go through isolation and make sacrifices. Life can be hard and becoming a successful athlete doesn’t happen without being mentally fit. If we can share some of those experiences to students through programs like this, then that’s unreal.

All these things can be applied to real life. Also perhaps sometimes students look up to athletes as role models. I think as well after saying all of that, I can personally share with the students that with the right mindset and perspective, it’s all very rewarding and fulfilling. 

Q: What message would you give to someone who may be struggling with mental health - depression, motivation, body issues, etc - in terms of the steps they could take to get back on track?
A: Get to know yourself, be kind to yourself and the people in your life. Reach out and speak openly to the people in your life but also get in touch with professionals - it’s what they’re here for.