Having been successfully introduced at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Athlete 365 x Powerade Mind Zone returned for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, providing athletes with a calm and restorative space to recharge, practise mindfulness and access confidential support.
“This space allowed me to recharge and get rid of stress before competition,” said Haitian Cross-Country skier Stevenson Savart, speaking to @athlete365. “It allowed me to have a clear mind and afterwards I felt settled and ready to go.”
With the Mind Zone a central part of the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to promoting mental well-being, preventing issues before they arise and providing care whenever needed, Inside FIS caught up with the IOC’s Senior Project Manager for Mental Health, Scott Sloan, to discuss the initiative’s origin story, how it has developed since Paris 2024, FIS’ key role in raising awareness, and the vital contributions of the network of National Olympic Committee and International Federation welfare and safeguarding officers.
Inside FIS: How did the Athlete365 x Powerade Mind Zone first come about and what the original aims were when it was launched at Paris 2024?
Scott Sloan: The origins go back to the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission. In a meeting pre-Paris 2024, we heard their needs that privacy or a quiet space is rare in an Olympic Village. Athletes needed a space just for themselves, somewhere to get away from the buzz of the Games or to get support, and that was not there.
On top of this, we recognised that very few people seek or ask for help when they face mental health challenges or are experiencing harassment and abuse, so we set out to tackle that issue: how do we encourage athletes to come forward, make that process simpler, and intervene earlier. We wanted to offer a trusted, confidential space where athletes can seek support, guidance and help without fear.
Plus, mental health is often stigmatised and associated with mental ill health, so we wanted to create a gateway to talk about the full spectrum of mental health, including performance, by creating a mental fitness and mental performance space next to the gym, as a way to help athletes think and talk about their mental health just as much as their physical health.