Mental health for female athletes is important because of how it can affect performance and overall wellbeing. The stigma surrounding female athletes involves societal expectations, judgment, and the need to maintain a certain image. As a female athlete myself, the struggles we go through are invisible, but still there, mostly in our own heads. Body image, stress, and the pressure to be ‘perfect’ all play a large role in the mental health of female athletes. Studies have shown that comparison, body image, and weight heavily impact an individual's psychological wellbeing$^1$. Some measures to be taken in the future would be to educate this group of individuals to ensure that it's okay for them to speak up about their struggles; external and internal. Workshops and talks from professionals can be extremely beneficial to the female athlete population, especially with its ever growing numbers.

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  1. Cumming et al.