Keynote speaker describes how elite athletes navigate emotional disorder
LOUISVILLE The UofL Depression Center’s annual benefit event took place on Thursday, April 25, at the UofL Conference Center on the Shelby campus. The guests heard a presentation from Kevin Chapman, PhD, entitled “Emotion Regulation and the Modern Athlete: Balancing Process and Outcome.”
Chapman, founder and director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, a former two-sport college athlete and a member of the Center College Athletic Hall of Fame, told the audience that “multiple studies indicate that elite athletes experience comparable rates of emotional disorders as the general population, but they have a greater risk of emotional disorder after suffering an injury in their sport.”
Also addressing the audience was Kara Winger, former USA world champion and 2008 Olympic track and field athlete. Winger competed in the javelin throw and in 2022 set a world record in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Winger discussed the process of healing and learning
from injuries she suffered in her quest for an Olympic medal.
The UofL Depression Center provides treatment services and educates students, residents, and practicing physicians. More information is at 502.588.4450 and www. uol.edu/depression.
