How Team USA Paralympian Sarah Adam Stays Mentally Fit

For Mental Health Awareness month, Team USA’s Sarah Adam shares how she manages stress, stays positive, and prioritizes rest to perform her best. Sarah offers advice for young athletes facing mental health challenges and reminds them to seek support. 

World-class athletes join us in the #MentalHealthFitness campaign to acknowledge the importance of prioritizing mental health as well as physical wellbeing. In personal videos, they share how they’ve been able to face their own mental health challenges and offer pointers on how to combine fitness with core mental health skill building to maintain your #MentalHealthFitness.  

For more inspiring videos on how world-class athletes stay mentally fit, check out this year’s Mental Health Fitness campaign.

Sarah Adam is a member of the USA Wheelchair Rugby team and a gold medalist. She first discovered the sport as a volunteer during occupational therapy school, later earning a spot on the national team in 2022. In 2023, she became the first woman to win a gold medal with the team during the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She is currently a professor of occupational therapy at St. Louis University in Missouri and when she’s not on the court, she enjoys hosting game nights with family and friends. 

Asking for support when you need it is a key part of maintaining your #MentalHealthFitness. These resources can help:

• How Can We Help Kids With Self-Regulation?
• ADHD and Exercise
• Sports for Kids With Learning and Emotional Challenges