Graeme Obree: why we need to talk about depression in sport

Depression in sport is often overlooked, except for when someone is brave enough to speak out. Here we look back at our conversation from last Autumn with Graeme Obree, who opened up about his own battle with depression

Depression in sport is an often under-reported phenomenon as mental illness does not sit well in a world where competitiveness, bravado and strength are seen as the norm. The condition often only hits the headlines when a high profile sportsperson talks about the condition.

Before speaking to Graeme Obree, I watched a BBC documentary that looked at depression in sport. The programme was presented by ex-England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff, who jetted off around the world speaking to some of the world's leading sport stars on how they coped with battling depression. The programme, despite being very powerful and moving, lacked something.

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