Is Gracie Gold still skating? What Happened To Her? Gracie Gold is an American figure skater whose tale about dealing with mental health issues is both painful and uplifting.
Following a hiatus from the sport to seek treatment for mental health issues and an eating disorder, Gracie Gold returned to the ice in the US Figure Skating Championships.
On Thursday, she resumed her incredible comeback at the US Figure Skating Championships. She also received a standing ovation for her performance in the short program.
Figure Skater Gracie Gold Story Behind The Mental Health Complications
Figure Skater Gracie Gold has always been honest about her mental health complications, including anxiety, depression, and eating disorder treatment. She shared about having suicidal thoughts after moving alone to Michigan in 2017.
Her teammate, Ashley Wagner, was the one who first persuaded USFSA officials to seek treatment for her in 2016. However, she refused until “snapping” in front of judges at the same USFSA event in 2017. Since returning to skating, she’s changed her goals, aiming for a healthier approach to the sport.
However, it began when she weighed herself in front of her coach, who commented that 124lbs was a big number. Then, she read somewhere that eating 200 to 400 calories can help weight loss.
Speaking out about mental health before most did, 26-year-old Gracie Gold steals the show in the short program at the US Olympic figure skating trials. “I wasn’t perfect perfect,” she said, “but what more can I want?” My @usatodaysports column: https://t.co/PDHNFmfiRA
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) January 7, 2022
Since 2014, she started eating meals consisting of one tomato and multiple cups of coffee. And, in 2017, she reached her breaking point.
But, she decided to step up and fight rather than hide in the dark. She came out and frankly talked about her situation to the public. She shared her story, and she was surprised that 90-95% of people supported her.
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It is rare to see that people were showing her support and positive response when most of the mental illness arises because of online bullying and pressure from fans on social media.
She shared how surprised she was to see such an overwhelmingly positive response from the public.
What Happened To Gracie Gold?
Gracie Gold suffered from depression, anxiety, and eating disorder in 2017. She spent 45 days in a rehabilitation center in Arizona, writes Daily Mail.
Throughout her recovery, Gold has made mental health a topic of discussion, addressing at the IOC’s 2019 International Athlete Forum and participating on the Olympic Channel podcast.
All this talk about the pressure that Simone is under at the Olympics & taking time off for her mental health is giving me flashbacks to the 2014 Winter Olympics & how much pressure Gracie Gold was under & the discourse around her after she came in 4th & then 6th at World’s
— 🎓shan¹¹⁹ (@hobierthanthou) August 4, 2021
Interestingly, she speaking about the importance of mental health showed some significant changes in the sports community. For example, mental health was included in the athlete education curriculum for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020, which talked with champions about mental health.
Gracie Gold Made A comeback After Four Years Of Hiatus
Gracie Gold made an inspiring comeback after four years of hiatus in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She received a standing ovation for her performance.
Regardless of the jumps and the placement, Gracie Gold looked genuinely happy skating tonight and that’s such a beautiful thing after all the hardship she’s been through. Her performance was still one of my favorites of the night. #ToyotaUSChamps2022
— Alexa (@alglides4) January 8, 2022
According to NBC Sports, she had missed the 2018 and 2019 championships and has struggled to qualify for the past three seasons. In 2021, she finished 13th, and in 2020, she finished 12th.
