The focus on mental health at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
The demands of elite Paralympic competition not only require peak physical fitness but also strong mental health and resilience 11 Mar 2026
Three-time Paralympic gold medalist Theo Gmur of Switzerland knows first-hand how the highs and lows of elite competition can affect mental health.
“I had one of the biggest challenges in my life, just after the (Paralympic Winter) Games in PyeongChang, when I got my three gold medals,” the Para alpine skiing star said.
“It’s not so easy when you are shining for two weeks and then for the next four years everything disappears. It was pretty complicated. I didn’t have the support I needed at that time.”
Gmur said learning to ask for help and trying to develop strategies to build his resilience has been vital to maintaining high performance.
“One secret technique I use a lot is breathing exercises. Not only for skiing and big events but also in daily life,” he said, adding that visualisation techniques were also useful.
The 29-year-old athlete, who followed up his success in PyeongChang with a bronze medal at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, said learning to tune into himself and push aside pressure is an important part of his athlete journey. That is why he encourages other Para athletes to reach out, to talk to teammates, coaches, team psychologists, family, and friends if they find themselves struggling.
“The more you speak out what you have (going on) inside, the better you will feel,” Gmur said.
A few years ago, Gmur worked with the International Olympic Committee’s safe sport unit and was involved in developing the Mind Zone concept that was piloted at Paris 2024.
Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Villages have Mind Zone areas where athletes can take time out, try virtual reality mindfulness, art therapy or access counselling with qualified psychologists. The Mind Zone spaces are open from 10am-8pm.
The rooms are set up with mood lighting, yoga mats for guided breathing exercises, comfy couches and private areas to help Para athletes relax, reset and recharge before or after competition. There is also a focus on protecting Para athletes from cyber abuse and online trolling that can often lead to mental health issues.
An artificial intelligence cyber abuse protection system monitors social media and flags abusive content for human review. Abusive posts can then be referred to police for investigation or followed up with social media platforms if they have breached community standards. Some National Paralympic Committees including Canada have mental health practitioners who are part of the team delegation at Milano Corina 2026. Susan Cockle, who is the team’s mental health lead, said there has been positive cultural change in recent years that has reduced mental health stigma.
“We’ve really shifted the needle on that,” she said
“Especially younger athletes coming in... they know that mental health is just as important as physical health.”
Cockle said managing disappointments, performance pressure, career-ending injuries, illnesses, life events including deaths of loved ones or relationship break-ups are among the issues she helps athletes work through. She said making mental health conversations informal and moving away from a “behind closed doors” approach has helped normalise getting assistance.
“We have wellness conversations in the dining hall or walking to or from a venue,” she said.
Her tool kit includes mindfulness, breathing exercises, techniques to manage negative thoughts, sleep management tactics, and strategies around acceptance and focus.
She said the goal is not only for athletes to perform well but also to leave the competition and the Games in good spirits, so “that the emotional weight of the games doesn’t create any lasting psychological impact”.
Athletes can be most vulnerable in the post-Games period, so it was important that debriefing conversations happen, Cockle said. She encouraged athletes to walk or wheel outside in the Paralympic Village to get some fresh air and soak up the mountain views and embrace the moment.
“Just noticing the environment around you can be a big mental health buffer,” she said.
Paralympians can access 24/7 mental health phone support in 70 languages at the Mentally Fit Help Line
Para athletes can visit the Athlete365 x Powerade Mind Zones at the Paralympic Villages in Cortina, Milan and Tesero
Support for online abuse is available
The International Paralympic Committee also has a incident reporting channel
