MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Minnesota's Jessie Diggins made history earlier this year when she became the first American cross-country skier to win an individual world title. But as she prepares to enter a new World Cup season later this week, her goals have changed.
During a conference call from Finland, Diggins said she has no expectations other than having a happy and healthy season.
"We're all human and we're doing the best we can every single day. So this season, I'm focusing on just doing my best and taking it one day at a time and one race at a time," Diggins said.
Diggins has been open about how after 12 years of recovery, she had a relapse with her eating disorder this summer.
The 32-year-old hopes by sharing her story, it will help others feel less alone.
"Mental health is physical health. So eating disorders are not a behavioral choice. It's mental health," Diggins said. "I think it can be really challenging, and really scary, and a little bit of a taboo subject. It makes me feel really vulnerable putting myself out there because everyone knows something really big about me. But at the same time, I'm trying to change the culture of sport for the better so that we can change the way that we talk about and address mental health."
It's a big change from when Diggins was 18 and thought her eating disorder was her fault.
"I thought it was a behavioral problem or a choice that I was continuing to make wrongly over and over again. When I went to The Emily Program, I learned so much about myself," Diggins said.
Diggins is now an ambassador for the Twin Cities-based, full-service eating disorder treatment program.
"We know that athletes who are at an elite level of performance, like Jessie is, are at a higher risk for an eating disorder. So their care teams, their coaches, their whole support teams really need to be aware of the risk factors and really get people connected to support quickly because eating disorders aren't just going to wait," said Jillian Lampert, chief strategy officer for The Emily Program.
Lampert said recovery is not linear. After Diggins shared she had relapsed on social media, Lampert said the response was immediate.
"We had people who messaged us and said, 'Hey, I saw what Jessie said and I think maybe I need to come back to care, too,' or, 'Maybe I can get care for the first time,'" Lampert recalled.
Lampert said one of the hardest parts of treatment is making that first phone call. She encourages anyone in need of help, to make that first call to a family member, friend or a place like The Emily Program.
"People think of eating disorders and they see Jessie and maybe think of women's sports. Eating disorders impact people of all genders, of all ages... and most eating disorders are not visible. So people can't see that somebody is struggling," Lampert said. "I think that's really important — particularly as we move into this holiday season where there's so much emphasis on food and appearance and everything else — that really checking with people. How are they? How are they really?"
Diggins is making her mental health a priority during a busy season of life that includes the COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Minneapolis in February 2024. Diggins played a pivotal role in getting the event to Minnesota. The Loppet Foundation was initially ready to host the World Cup in mid-March 2020 but had to cancel due to the pandemic. This will be the first time the event will be held on U.S. soil in over 20 years.
Diggins said a home World Cup comes with added pressure and expectations.
"I've also struggled with that. I don't want to disappoint people or let them down," Diggins said.
But Diggins also said any race she's in, will be because she and her team have agreed on it and because she wants to compete.
"This is something that a lot of athletes struggle with... is this question of, 'Will you love me even if I don't win?' Because all the time, you're told, 'I cheer for you! I hope you win and you're so great because you win races,'" Diggins said. "It's easy to start internalizing that and thinking maybe that's where my worth lies and that's not true. It's important to see the bigger picture."
If you or someone you know is facing a mental health crisis, there is help available from the following resources:
Crisis Text Line – text “MN” to 741741 (standard data and text rates apply)
Crisis Phone Number in your Minnesota county
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, Talk to Someone Now
Throughout Minnesota call **CRISIS (**274747)
The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386
The Emily Program at 888-364-5977
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