The mental health of athletes is a global problem
When high-profile athletes like Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka and US gymnast Simone Biles spoke publicly about their mental health issues, the world listened.
But for many younger athletes, they’re suffering in silence.
It’s estimated that about one-third of elite athletes around the world experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, about 30% of female student athletes and 25% of male student athletes report having anxiety.
Anxiety affects —
30% of female student athletes
25% of male student athletes
In Australia, a 2020 study reported in the BMJ Journal of Open Sport and Exercise Medicine found that mental health was a particular issue for female elite athletes.
Former gymnast and Female Founder Annie Devitt (formerly Flamsteed) was competing at the highest level of gymnastics when she saw an opportunity to address the mental health of athletes.
A tech platform to track the mental health of athletes
Annie’s idea, iNSPIRETEK, is now an industry-first health technology platform where athletes can input daily metrics, including mental health, sleep, fatigue, nutrition and stress.
This data provides valuable insights, tools and education for sports coaches and officials. It acts to prioritise the wellbeing of athletes and the identification of potential issues.
‘As a former competitive young gymnast in Queensland, I know having access to something like iNSPIRETEK would have been very beneficial to my mental and physical health.’
Launched from her hometown in Toowoomba, Annie’s idea has gone global. iNSPIRITEK is now used by sporting organisations across the world, including Basketball Queensland and, more recently, New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL).
Annie feels extremely fortunate to have founded her startup in Queensland. The innovation ecosystem is particularly supportive of women entrepreneurs.
‘Anybody can have an idea, but having the right support to set up a good business model and good advice is what gets the business off the ground. My advice to other female founders, or any founders, is to be open to being coached and receiving support,’ she said.
‘Having the right support to set up a good business model and good advice is what gets the business off the ground.’
The Queensland Government has invested in iNSPIRETEK. The tech platform will be piloted by athletes, coaches and club officials from nine state-level sporting organisations, including Basketball Queensland.
Basketball Queensland CEO Joshua Pascoe said they had previously been using an in-house solution for tracking athlete wellbeing and had started to look for partners who could deliver a more user-friendly product.
‘The iNSPIRETEK platform is intuitive and built with the end-user in mind. That’s seen an exponential increase in engagement in the platform with our participants.
‘We now have access to an innovative tool so we’re across all of our athletes’ wellbeing and nutrition, and that’s a massive benefit to all state sporting organisations.’
The business has grown to more than 20 employees
Starting solo, with just the help of a few engineers, advisors and investors, Annie has grown the business into 20-plus employees across the world. An experienced sports and technology CEO, Rodney Rapson, stepped into the leadership role in late 2022.
Rodney said that the funding from the Queensland Government was an incredible validation of the technology and service they have built.
‘We’re proud as a Queensland-based company to support our athletes and state as they look to develop and compete on the global stage. Our system will increase access to personalised mental health and wellbeing resources. That will enhance communication and collaboration between young athletes, their coaches, teams and support systems.’
iNSPIRETEK's platform puts young people at the centre while offering the communication, content and engagement tools that today's coaches, administrators and organisations need. Through mental health and wellbeing tracking, iNSPIRETEK delivers personalised, evidence-based content, education and support for every user.
Learn more by visiting the iNSPIRITEK website.
Last updated: 09 May 2024