Michael Phelps Announced As Cybersmiler Of The Month Award Winner For January
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Following the likes of Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell and Stormzy, we are excited to announce that January’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award goes to U.S. swimming legend Michael Phelps!
Earlier in January, the legendary Olympian opened up about his fight with mental illness, and how he has struggled greatly with suicidal thoughts. He explained how finally plucking up the courage to seek help felt ‘Better than winning a gold medal’.
“After years and years of shoving every negative, bad feeling down to the point where I mean, I didn’t want to feel it anymore, It was a long, long, long road and I just never wanted to deal with it. For me, that sent me down a spiral staircase real quick and like I said, I found myself in a spot where I didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Michael Phelps, Cybersmiler of the Month
Michael was very courageous by speaking openly about his mental health problems in a bid to help and encourage others to get the help they need and deserve. He explained that on his first day of treatment he was shaking, because he was so nervous about the change that was about to occur.
Once he managed to open up, Michael was finally able to start living an enjoyable life without the darkness that he had tried to bury for so long. Michael wants to use his own experiences of mental illness to encourage others to speak up about their battles, and to break down the stigma surrounding mental health issues – and he has hope for the future.
“Finally people are aware of everything that’s going on and are talking about it. I think this is the only way that we can change.”
Michael Phelps, Cybersmiler of the Month
Michael Phelps is a true Cybersmiler, and very deserving of this award for sharing his personal mental health experiences to help others find the strength to speak out – while breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness.
You can explore the Cybersmiler of the Month Award winners Hall of Fame to see a full list of previous recipients and learn more about becoming a brand sponsor of the award here.
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What do you think about Michael Phelps speaking out about his own experience of mental illness? Tweet us @CybersmileHQ.
