If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more. Opinions are the writer’s own and not those of Blavity's. ____ When Simone Biles vaults, hearts do flips. When Naomi Osaka returns a serve, expectations explode. When Sha’Carri Richardson leaves the starting block, there is breathless anticipation. And when they stumble or slip, we are stunned. We need to get over that. It is time to realize the tremendous pressure on young people like them and prioritize their mental health as well as their physical prowess. Elite athletes, as Alyssa Richardson wrote recently in The Washington Post , are among the last celebrities whose attainments really do seem beyond those of mere mortals. Over the past century, remarkable young women of color — from Wilma Rudolph to Venus and Serena Williams, to these latest amazing sports stars — have made record-breaking athletic performances a...
