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Former Belgian gymnast Maellyse Brassart opens up on mental health struggles due to 'toxic environment' that led her to walk away
Former Belgian gymnast, Maellyse Brassart, recently shared an emotional note on mental health, detailing her experience and challenges while preparing for the Paris Olympics 2024 that eventually led her to walk away from the sport.
Maellyse Brassart made her international debut at the 2014 Top Gym tournament, placing 10th in the all-around. The former Belgian gymnast secured a podium finish at the Belgian championship, winning silver in the junior All-Around in 2016. Brassart won the bronze medal at the 2020 International Gymnix in Montreal, sharing the podium with American gymnast Faith Torrez and Australian gymnastics star Kate McDonald. The last podium finish of her career came in the Cottbus World Cup 2024, where she won her first FIG World Cup medal.
Brassart opened up about the mental challenges and abuse she faced while training for the Paris Summer Olympics. Opening up on slowly falling out of love with the sport, Brassart made an emotional confession through an Instagram post that read:
"There was a time when training didn’t feel like joy anymore, it felt like survival. I got through that period while preparing for the Paris Olympics. Yes, the challenges of an Olympic year are “expected”, but the toxic environment I went through was not. It wasn’t about progress anymore, it was only about surviving. But I kept going...."
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"The silence from some people only confirmed how unsupported I felt. I don’t blame the sport. But the way everything was handled affected me deeply. It became difficult to continue in a system that lacked clarity, support, and trust," she added.
Maellyse Brassart announced her retirement in November last year, and although her meniscus (2021) and ankle (2023) injuries were seen as contributing factors, the athlete revealed the mental side of things only recently.
Brassart's confession has added to the discussion on athletes' mental wellbeing being pivotal to their form. Famous Olympians like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps have stressed the mental aspect of their own sport, revealing that the fierce nature of competition and being the best in their game come with their challenges.
Maellyse Brassart rediscovers her spark at the Belgian Students Gymnastics Championship
Maellyse Brassart retired last year after her Olympic campaign, but recently rediscovered her spark at the Belgian Students Gymnastics Championship. In an Instagram update, Brassart shared:
"And just like that, I put on my shiny leotard and found my spark again ✨🥹 Had a blast at the Belgian Students Gymnastics Championship🔥Definitely challenged myself since I only had 4 trainings to get some old routines back. But had so much fun there and met a lot of great people 🫶🏻"
Maellyse Brassart was 37th in All-Around at the Paris Olympics 2024, where she also qualified for the balance beam final, finishing seventh with 12.266.
