These Olympic Athletes Knit to Cope with Stress

Life can be stressful. Imagine how intense the stress can be when you are competing for the gold medal in The Olympic Games. Although we idolize many of the Olympic athletes, they are people- just like us. Mental health has been a widely discussed topic at this year's Olympic games and we couldn't help but notice that many Olympic athletes cope with stress by knitting! 

Related: Knitters Are Happier People- Here's Why

Olympic Gold Medalist Tom Daley

Tom Daley, a high profile British diver and Olympic gold medalist, was spotted on several occasions at this year's Summer Games tirelessly knitting while waiting for his event or while cheering on teammates. When asked about his hobby, he replied, It's "the one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process." We can relate to that! He commented on his Instagram profile that, "Knitting has become my way of finding calm, mindfulness, and relieve stress! I love it!" 

Related: Guide to Multitasking While Knitting

Tom Daley was first seen knitting a cosy pouch to keep his gold medal warm. Later on in the games he was spotted knitting a sweater for his French Bulldog, Izzy the Frenchie. He also revealed that he was simultaneously working on a cardigan. We couldn't possibly love this anymore than we do.

Finnish Olympic Athletes

As if it isn't staggering enough that these athletes perform amazing feats of athleticism, they are also brilliant knitters. The Finnish Olympic team is know to prioritize well-being and mental health. How do they accomplish this? They knit! 

Knitting is an important part of their routine at the Olympic Games as a way to stay centered and calm. Even the Finnish snowboarding coach has been seen knitting during the extensive wait times. The entire Finnish team was provided knitting tools and a suggestion from the team psychologist to knit.

Knitting Improves Mental Health and Reduces Stress

Extensive research shows that knitting has a measurable effect on calming anxiety and relieving stress. Knitters report a strong connection between knitting and feelings of euphoric calm and happiness. 

For all of the buzz and controversy surrounding the Olympic Games, the knitting community can be proud of the representation that knitting has at the Summer Games as well as past Olympic Games. And it is exciting to think that our community has something in common with some of the greatest athletes in the world.