Olympic bobsledder Steve Mesler on vulnerability, depression and redefining mental health for elite athletes

Olympic bobsledder Steve Mesler on vulnerability, depression and redefining mental health for elite athletes

Elite athletes are often praised for their resilience, grit and mental toughness. But Steve Mesler, 2010 Olympic gold medalist in the bobsled, explains how those same qualities can quietly become barriers to mental health support.

In a recent episode of LifeStance Health’s Convos from the Couch podcast, Mesler shared candid insights into why vulnerability is so difficult for elite athletes, how depression nearly cost him his life and how he is now working to support future generations through the non-profit organization Classroom Champions.

Why vulnerability feels unsafe at the Olympic level

At the highest level of sport, competition is relentless and vulnerability can feel risky. Mesler described elite athletics as a true meritocracy, where athletes are constantly evaluated and replaced if they appear weak.

“When you're at that level, the concept of vulnerability as an athlete is dangerous,” Mesler explained. “If you're going to ask for help, it means you need help. It means you need something.”

In bobsledding, where team selection includes subjectivity, Mesler knew there were dozens of athletes waiting for his seat.

“There were 20 guys that would've done anything to be in my seat, and I knew that. So, the concept of vulnerability was something that was just foreign.”

Subsequently, this fiercely competitive environment conditions athletes to suppress pain, especially mental and emotional pain.

“If you were sick or if you were hurt, the sharks would circle,” he said. “From a mental aspect, you didn't let it go there.”

While this perseverance and masking of emotions can drive performance, they may also create long-term harm. Mesler emphasized that athletes are rarely taught which mental skills serve them in sport and which ones need to be re-examined once competition ends. The result is a culture where asking for help feels incompatible with success, even when mental health challenges are mounting beneath the surface.

Living with depression after Olympic success

Despite achieving an Olympic gold medal, leadership roles, professional success and a growing family, Mesler found himself facing severe depression after his athletic career.

He shared that he reached a point where simply getting through the day felt impossible. The inner drive that once fueled his athletic success had gone quiet. His sense of purpose flattened. Even activities that once brought energy and joy no longer did. At the worst point of his depression, he even contemplated suicide.

“I've competed in the Olympic Games with six guys. I've had to bury two of them from taking their own lives,” he said. “And then I myself have been five steps from stepping in front of a train.”

In sports fashion, Mesler described depression as an injury that affected his brain just as a torn muscle would affect the body. Yet unlike physical injuries, mental health struggles don’t automatically remove expectations or responsibilities. He continued working, leading and showing up in his post-Olympic life, even as he felt broken internally.

What helped Mesler heal from depression

What ultimately helped Mesler begin to heal from his depression was a combination of professional support and intentional life changes:

• Therapy and prescription medication: Working with a counselor helped him personally understand what he was experiencing and gave him tools to support his recovery. Medication, taken as prescribed, played an important role during his healing process too.
• Reconnecting with people: He intentionally deepened relationships, reached out to friends and allowed himself to have more honest conversations, which was something he had rarely done as an athlete.
• Reclaiming purpose and achievement: Mesler recognized that humans need goals and pursuits beyond a single identity. He reintroduced daily physical activity, learning and personal growth into his life. “I needed something that I was chasing and pursuing,” he explained. “I needed to find achievement again. Waking up every morning and working out helped.”
• Managing the inner monologue: One of Mesler’s most powerful insights in his personal mental health journey was recognizing the impact of self-talk. He learned to interrupt negative thought spirals and consciously reframe them. He now shares these concepts with younger athletes, impressing his personal perspective that, “Being critical of yourself is okay, but if you do that all the time, the negativity that will come back to you is overwhelming.”
• Learning and curiosity: By committing to learning something new regularly, he reengaged his curiosity and sense of vitality.

Advice for today’s Olympians and athletes

For athletes, Mesler offers guidance rooted in both experience and compassion.

• Worth is not defined by performance or medals. Goals are important, but identity should not be singular. In Mesler’s experience, athletes benefit from pursuing other interests and passions alongside sport, not as distractions, but as protective buffers for mental health. For Mesler, limiting himself to “I am an Olympian,” was harmful once the Games ended. He recommends shifting to a humanistic identity perspective like, “I am a person who does hard things,” so it can apply to multiple areas and experiences.
• Pay attention to inner dialogue. The way athletes speak to themselves matters, especially over time. Learning to reframe setbacks, balance self-criticism with self-support and recognize emotions as tools rather than threats may make a meaningful difference.
• Use vulnerability intentionally. Mesler emphasizes that vulnerability is not something athletes must abandon forever. Instead, embrace it and use it thoughtfully. Knowing when to be tough and when to ask for help is part of long-term resilience.

Supporting the next generation through Classroom Champions

Today, Mesler channels his experience into impact through Classroom Champions, a nonprofit he co-founded to support students and educators across the U.S. and Canada.

Classroom Champions connects elite athletes with classrooms through a structured, research-based curriculum focused on goal setting, emotional regulation, perseverance, teamwork and leadership. Rather than one-time motivational talks, the program creates ongoing mentorship relationships that allow students to see what pursuing a dream (with challenges included), really looks like.

“Kids learn through people they trust,” Mesler explained. “And technology allows us to create an ongoing relationship between athletes and classrooms.”

By engaging athletes in meaningful work beyond competition, Classroom Champions also supports the athletes themselves. Mesler believes having purpose outside of sport strengthens mental health and ultimately enhances performance rather than detracting from it.

“When you give athletes something else they can pursue, it actually makes all these other parts of their life better,” Mesler said.

Through this work, Mesler is helping redefine success not just for students, but for athletes who are learning that strength and support can coexist.

A new definition of strength

Steve Mesler’s story challenges longstanding assumptions about mental toughness in elite sports. His message is clear: Vulnerability, when understood and used wisely, is often a pathway to sustainability, connection and healing.

By speaking openly about depression, identity and recovery, Mesler is helping create space for athletes and all high achievers to seek support without shame. In this way, Mesler is helping normalize mental health conversations that were once unthinkable at the Olympic level.

The experiences shared in this article reflect one individual’s personal story and may differ from those of others. Approaches to care, including therapy and medication, should be considered and used only in partnership with a qualified provider. This information is intended for general understanding and is not a substitute for professional medical guidance.

This story was published by LifeStance Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.