A look at some athletes battled depression too

After Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe was admitted to rehab for depression, we look at the other sportsmen and sportswomen who battled similar demons

> Just 18 months after England’s 2005 Ashes triumph, cricketer Andrew Flintoff encountered such severe depression that he was hardly able to get out of bed and turned to alcohol. His despair even made him lose his joy for the sport temporarily.


> Welsh football legend Gary Speed, who was found hanging in November 2011, was so stressed that days before his death he had sent a text message to his wife talking about taking his own life. The footballer never spoke of his depressive state of mind to anyone.



> Before she became a double Olympic gold medallist, long distance runner Kelly Holmes used to cut herself and even had suicidal thoughts because the pressure to win was so great.

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