Welcome to Proper Mental episode 16!

My guest today is Tasha Danvers!

Tasha Danvers is a coach, painter, singer and public speaker.  She is also a 2-time Olympian who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Her story is incredible!  At the height of her career in sport, and whilst training for her second Olympics, Tasha fell pregnant and received an insane amount of backlash and scrutiny from people in and around athletics.

Seven months after giving birth to her son, Tasha returned to top flight competition.  She won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and won a place in the final the following year at the World Championships.

She faced more scrutiny after being selected for the 2008 Olympic squad as some people felt she should not have been chosen.

In 2008, she overcame a series of injuries and the media backlash, to run the fastest race of her life and take Olympic bronze in Beijing.

The scrutiny she faced during this period alongside personal issues and the pressure of an upcoming Olympics in London in 2012 led Tasha in to a period of depression which eventually came to ahead when she attempted to take her own life in 2011.

This story is an incredible series of highs and lows and Tasha takes me through her journey with an openness that is truly inspiring!  Her mindset is an inspiration in itself and her way of looking at depression and mental health is brilliant!

We chat about the loneliness of track sport, the importance of gratitude, the pressure of a games on home soil and the importance of asking for help.

Tasha was just great to chat to!  She is funny and engaging and a lovely, lovely person.  I really enjoyed talking to her and I hope you enjoy listening!

You can connect with Tasha via Instagram @tashatheolympian or Twitter @tashadanvers or via her website www.tashadanvers.com.

Here is the link for her 2008 medal winning run – prepare for goose bumps!

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Womens 400m Hurdles Final - YouTube

While you’re on YouTube you can subscribe to the podcast channel here:

Proper Mental Podcast - YouTube

And here is an article written in 2013 about Tasha:

Tasha Danvers on motherhood, sacrifice and feeling suicidal - BBC Sport

You can connect with me on all social media platforms @propermentalpodcast.  Please leave a review if you have a minute and as always, let me know what you think!

Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!