"I got inspiration from Naomi Osaka" - US snowboarding star opens up about mental health struggles

American snowboarding star Chloe Kim says Naomi Osaka opening up about mental health helped her become more open about her own mental health problems

At the French Open last year, Osaka opened up about her battle with depression and anxiety. Since then, the two-time US Open champion has become one of the biggest advocates for athletes' mental health.

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This past April, Kim announced her decision to skip the entire 2022/23 season so she could focus on her mental health.

"I think speaking about mental health is really important because a lot of people experience it and we need to make it so that people feel comfortable speaking about their struggles and seeking help because, I mean, I needed help," said Kim.

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"I got that inspiration from Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka knowing that this was something that I had struggled with but seeing other high-level athletes coming out and speaking about their struggles, this was very inspirational for me and I felt how big an impact I made.

"So, it was important for me to speak about it as well."