Mike Evelyn O’HigginsAshley Fraser/The Globe and Mail
In the two-man bobsleigh event, Mike Evelyn O’Higgins pulls the brake to bring the aerodynamic vehicle to a halt. It takes intense focus, something he’s all too familiar with.
The 32-year-old engineer from Ottawa is competing at the Milan Cortina Olympics this month, and is drawing attention to mental-health challenges he faces in hopes of helping fellow athletes and others.
He works with a behavioural therapist to help navigate symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, including his tendency to ruminate about every aspect of life.
Mental-health professionals say ADHD affects how individuals regulate emotions and impulses. Some liken the neurodevelopmental condition to having a race car for a brain, without the ability to slow down.
“I hyperfixate on all sorts of things,” Mr. Evelyn O’Higgins said in an interview before leaving for Italy. “But bobsled seems to be a real magnet for me.”
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Often, he said, he finds himself poring over hours of video from bobsleigh events, trying to find ways to improve. He constantly wants to push himself to be more efficient, to move faster, even though he already holds Team Canada’s record for being its top performing “pushman.”
In four-man bobsleigh, in which he will also compete at the Games, he tucks in behind the pilot and serves as the “pusher,” who works to maximize the sled’s speed.
In speaking about mental health, Mr. Evelyn O’Higgins joins other Canadian Olympians who have publicly shared their struggles, including now-retired speed skater and cyclist Clara Hughes. Soccer goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé also disclosed how she had panic attacks and severe anxiety at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
A 2021 study conducted by several University of Toronto researchers suggests elite athletes experience more frequent mental-health challenges.
The study found about 41 per cent of athletes of Canadian national teams training for the Tokyo Games met the cutoff criteria for one or more mental-health disorders, including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. This figure was compared to approximately 10 per cent of Canadians who reported a mental-health disorder in a 12-month period.
Mr. Evelyn O’Higgins is not surprised by the statistic.
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He uses multiple strategies to address the ways ADHD affects his brain’s executive function, including setting aside a modest amount of time to complete tasks he doesn’t find stimulating. He then follows it with a reward.
“It sort of seems like you’re treating yourself like a small child, but it’s effective,” he said.
Mr. Evelyn O’Higgins also tries to offer himself understanding around difficult tasks. He was not sure he wanted to take ADHD medication but he now plans to start in March, after the Games.
His wife, Erin Evelyn O’Higgins, who is also an engineer and marathon runner, has watched him navigate the barriers he faces. He will have a cheering squad of more than 20 people at the Olympics, which will be a great way to celebrate his years of hard work, she said.
He also competed in bobsleigh at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, but spectators could not watch in person because of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the couple met through waterskiing on the Ottawa River, he shared with her that he worked with a therapist and mental performance coach. “I’m always really proud to see him speaking out,” she said.
Mr. Evelyn O’Higgins is not nervous to speak about his mental health because it allows him to better understand how his brain works. He has discussed ADHD in media interviews and public appearances.
He has friends, teammates and family who have been diagnosed with ADHD.
“It’s not something to be ashamed of,” he said. “It’s important to practice self-love and compassion and appreciate what you do have and work on what you can in a healthy way.”