The subject of athlete mental health has come to the forefront in these Olympic Games following the withdrawal of Simone Biles from multiple women's gymnastics events citing her mental and physical health.
One athlete who can relate to Biles' position of entering an Olympic Games as a heralded star of a United States Olympic team -- and the pressures that come with that -- is Michael Phelps. And the decorated U.S. Olympic swimmer think it's time for the country and world to engage in a larger conversation on the topic.
In this extended 24-minute conversation with NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico, Phelps opens up on the subject of athlete mental health, shares his own mental health struggles throughout his career, how hard it was for him to open up, how he relates to Biles' position, and what steps he believes need to be taken to help countless athletes struggling with mental health.
