Olympian Derrick Adkins & Mental Health

The Athletics department hosted a Mental Health Awareness Lecture Sunday 2/10/19 in the DAC Auditorium with former US Olympic Track and Field Sprinter Derrick Adkins. 

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Adkins struck gold by a decisive margin of 0.24 from Matete and equalling his lifetime best of 47.54.

Unfortunately, bouts of chronic depression meant he never again came close to repeating his glory years of 1994-1996. He retired from the sport in 2002 aged 32.

“I had suffered depression since I was young,” explains Adkins. “In ’94, ‘95 and ’96, I would be low, then after winning a big race in Europe I’d be happy for a few days before crashing. I’d then train hard and get my mind psyched up for another race. From 1997 I ran with medication because I felt I needed it for my health, although it sedated me and I lost a lot of my sprint ability.”

https://www.iaaf.org/news/series/derrick-adkins-1995-world-400m-hurdles-champi