Aspiring Australian Olympian, Brittany George, was found dead in a Brisbane neighborhood in Queensland, Australia, on January 27, 2022. She had experience a severe back injury forcing her into early retirement. Many fear that mental health may have been a factor in her death.

In an October 2021 interview, Brittany spoke and shared about her life as an athlete.

“It has literally been my whole life, I’ve been ‘the athlete’ from when I was 2 until when I was 20 or 21,” she said. “I did not have an identity. I was labeled ‘the athlete’ from a very young age and just rode with it.” “I put everything in,” she added. “My injuries and schoolwork went second-hand, everything went second-hand to sport. It was absolutely all or nothing. You’re an athlete but who am I? Who am I as a person? Who is Brittany? I don’t know that. I struggle every day to know who that is.”

She was also candid about her struggles with mental health.

“I will admit I do have a lot of mental health issues. I diagnosed myself, at an early age,” she said. “I was four or five-years-old when my brain kind a tipped over and was like. Okay, so the plan is you’ll be an athlete until you’re good, and when you’re done, then you’ll die.” 

That sounds sad, but what’s sadder is many people are struggling with these same mental health issues today. Maybe we are not world-class athletes, but we are business owners, leaders, employees, students, individuals, whatever role or label we have placed on our lives, we are struggling. 

Herein lies the opportunity in the workplace. As leaders, workplace influencers, fellow workmates, or individuals, we can meet people where they are, listen, understand, and point them to the help they need.

Unfortunately, many workplaces ask employees to check this stuff at the front door. We’ve got work to do and we don’t have time for this. Plus, we are not qualified, there’s liability, and these private matters make people uncomfortable. Well, Brittany checked it at the door, one last time, and then she checked out.

So what can you do? You could provide a culture of caring and a framework for helping. It takes some intentionality and planning, but you can lower risk, provide ways to help, and encourage others while maintaining privacy. You have an opportunity to craft and provide a solution to make people better. Remember: Better people make better businesses, and better businesses make a better world.

Doing Good at Work offers a simple Employee Care Plan (ECP). The ECP is a base offering for individuals, businesses, and organizations. It’s a great place to start making others better. Contact us today to learn how you, your business, or organization can make the ECP available. It’s simple, and it will make you and your business better.