Topic:
Country: Finland
Delegate Name: Asher Neville
Concern for the overall health of olympic athletes has grown over the years. Mental health issues have affected up to 35% of olympic athletes with some prime examples including: Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Amanda Beard who all have experienced large amounts of stress during or after competition. The International Olympic Committee has made multiple reaches to help athletes by installing 24/7 aid and a large number of professional counselors who speak multiple languages. Physical compensation and support are also commonly provided to athletes. Despite the attempts at help, athletes still tend to fall into ruts at some point during their career.
Finland strongly advocates for further support for athletes and their wellbeing. When it comes to responsibility in the IOC, Finland is a core figure that pushes for further advances in athlete support. One way of doing this is creating leadership programs that make efforts to keep athletes honest and happier. Using these leaders also allows athletes to relate more to support workers and not be dragged down by abusive coaches. Another product of Finland’s push for mental support comes with Suomisport which is an app that allows olympic athletes to track goals and not push limits, offering mental notes as well. General Finish support for all athletes from any country is a staple for their olympic committee and further goals have been set. International collaboration sets a good foundation for strength in olympic committees and their athletes, with Finland at the forefront of it all.
