Mental health of local athletes front and center after Biles pulls out of competition

The mental health of Olympic athletes is now a worldwide discussion after American gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the team and individual all-around events.

Kate Kaufman Burns is the Director of Health Promotion at Siena College.

She says they provide their Division One athletes with the resources needed to deal with being an athlete, classes and relationships.

"Positive thinking, visualization, guided imagery, breathing techniques. When we change how we think, it changes how we feel," said Burns.

At UAlbany, mental health for their Division One athletes is also a priority, especially with the pandemic.

"Layering COVID, I think, on top of it, has been particularly, I think, uniquely stressful for our student athletes, because of seasons getting cancelled, being taken out of competition," said Dr. Megan Cusick Brix, a psychologist at UAlbany.

She says we tell students to ask for help, but it’s important they know where to turn.

Hear the big message they want athletes to take away by watching the video of Emily De Vito’s story.