Demi Vollering opened up about her intense anxiety and pressure during the Tour de France Femmes, particularly on a challenging stage following a crash. In her Instagram post, she reflected on feeling overwhelmed by expectations from the media, her team, and herself after losing the yellow jersey. Despite finishing third on stage 7, she emphasized that her personal victory was overcoming the mental challenges she faced. Vollering described reaching a breaking point characterized by spiraling anxiety and difficulties in articulating her emotions, underscoring the importance of addressing mental health in sports.
This was one of the toughest days of my career. Physically, I was still recovering from a crash 2 days earlier, mentally I was weighed down by pressure.
Looking back, I realize this was one of my biggest wins - not just because I finished third, but because I overcame one of the hardest moments I've faced.
During the race, I hit a breaking point. It's hard to describe what it felt like, but anxiety took over, and my thoughts spiraled.
Everyone kept asking how I was feeling, and while I tried to stay positive, inside I was scared and uncertain.
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