Story of Ulrika Brameus
This is the story of one Ulrika Brameus. Brameus raced on Team Playtri Elite for several years before moving to Chicago, where she continued her training remotely. While participating in distance training, Brameus burned out and dropped cycling and running to just swim and water polo.
"I was so mentally drained that I would try to force myself to throw up in my car on my way to practice so I didn't have to work out” Brameus recalls.
One of the biggest issues in the world of triathlons, is a burnout; athletes pushing themselves for too long and too hard that the sport becomes unenjoyable.
"I've been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and panic disorder," Brameus said. "Panic disorder can be a side effect of depression and anxiety. It's basically common panic attacks." A burnout can be a substantial factor towards depression and anxiety, but for Brameus, she faced her issues before sports caused a problem. Despite this, triathlon still caused major problems in her life.
"You're feeling this immense pressure to always show up to practice, to perform, to have a well-functioning body," Brameus said, "while still balancing everything else in life like school, family, and social life. And it just gets so hard that you eventually dislike it."
Brameus move to Chicago from Texas also challenged her mental health as she experienced social isolation, and the missing comfort of a team.
"Being a distance athlete is so much worse than just being on a team," Brameus said. "You don't have someone to talk to. You don't have people to share your struggles."
Although Brameus has suffered from being a triathlete, she recognized the value of the sport. Contrary to what it sounds like recognizing the good is just as insightful as recognizing the bad. Knowing the good and bad of something is how you truly know something or someone.
"You have this community around you that all do the same thing," Brameus said. "Whether that be a teammate, competitor, or coach, you have someone you can relate to and talk to."
For many like Brameus, triathlon is a two sided coin. Recognizing those differences and understanding how to balance the good and bad is essential to love the sport. If you can love the sport through the good and the bad, then that is when you are meant for the sport. Not all of us might stand up on the podium, but that's not the only reason we do this. Right?
Yours truly,
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