Iga Swiatek makes use of her platform on National Mental Health Day, urges fans to make donations and plans Q&A session alongside her psychiatrist to help raise awareness
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek took to Twitter to shed some light on her decision to donate her prize money from reaching the final at the Ostrava Open to a non-profit organization in Poland. The Pole announced the decision on the eve of World Mental Health Day during the trophy ceremony at the Ostrava Open.
The 21-year-old took to Twitter to elaborate on her decision. She revealed that she will be donating the money to a charity that works for children suffering from mental health issues in her home country, Poland.
🧠 Dziś Światowy Dzień Zdrowia Psychicznego, dlatego tak jak zapowiadałam chciałabym w tym roku znowu podjąć pewne działania ⤵️
Dbajcie o siebie! 💛
🧠 Today is World Mental Health Day and because of that I would like to take some actions to help ⤵️
Please take care! 💛 https://t.co/rvPyDYu219
"I'm going to continue my little tradition and donate my prize money from the tournament in Ostrava. 58 k Euro will support a charity that helps children struggling with mental health issues in Poland," Iga Swiatek tweeted.
She also elaborated on the importance of donating money, irrespective of the amount, for important causes like mental health and also urged people to donate money, believing that by doing so one could make a bigger impact.
"I'm speaking about it openly because I know that every gesture and every donation counts when we talk about something as important as our mental health," Swiatek stated.
"Especially that this year's motto of this day is to make our mental health the priority. I encourage everyone to donate even small amounts to one of the charities because together we can make a bigger impact," she added.
"Daria will answer from an expert perspective and I'll talk more about my perspective as an athlete" - Iga Swiatek on mental health Q&A alongside her sports psychologist
In the same tweet announcing her pledge for mental health, Iga Swiatek also asked people to add questions regarding the issue on the same thread on Twitter as she plans on holding a Q&A about mental health alongside her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, on Instagram.
"Leave your questions in the comments section below because we are going to makea Q&A session on my Stories in a week. Together with my psychologist Daria Abramowicz (who celebrates her birthday today!) we'll answer your questions about mental health, psychology or mental support," Swiatek said.
Swiatek added that the Q&A would provide two different perspectives - how an athlete deals with challenges and how experts deal with people who are currently struggling.
"Daria will answer from an expert perspective and I'll talk more about my perspective as an athlete and how I cope with some challenges. Together we want to show our support to people who struggle and open up social media for the discussion about mental health. I know there are lots of profiles that do it on a day-to-day basis, but I want to do my part and use the influence I have for a good cause," she added.