In honor of ​​World Mental Health Day​, the University of Michigan swim team shared a video on their Instagram featuring alum ​Ashley Cohagen​ talking about the identity crisis many athletes face once their competition days are over.​​

It is an all-too-familiar subject for many swimmers and divers who compete at the collegiate level. We pour our heart, soul, time, and energy into our craft for years and then, in the blink of an eye, it's over. 

If you're still competing, be prepared. If you're finished and searching for ways to fill the void, do not be afraid to ask for help.



For practical advice on mental health and dealing with identity crisis in sport, watch our episode of ​​Outside Smoke​ featuring ​Caroling Burckle​.

Burckle is an Olympic bronze medalist from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (4x200m freestyle relay) and is now taking on a new venture -- RISE Elite Athletes -- with friend and Olympic gold medalist ​​Rebecca Soni​. RISE is a unique mentoring service for athletes.
​