How a Welsh Commonwealth Games athlete emerged from days of sitting in “a very dark room”

By Calvin Okeke

ATHLETE James Ledger has opened up about mental health turbulence that has seen him experience “days when it all gets too much”.

The Cardiff-based 100m runner was born with visual impairment which means he has limited vision in both eyes, though he does not need a guide when competing.

James represented Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast and is coached by former Olympic sprinter Christian Malcolm.

The 28-year-old, now preparing for next year’s Commonwealth event in Birmingham, has no qualms admitting that there are times he struggles mentally.

“There have been days where it gets too much, and I’ve sat in a very dark room after competitions when things haven’t gone well,” said James, who hails from Morriston, Swansea.

“You put so much effort into a 100m race and although it’s only for around 11 seconds, things can go wrong.

“When you put so much work in and it doesn’t go your way, it’s hard. You get that feeling that you’re not just letting yourself down but other people too, like your family, friends, your coaches, your teammates.

“Many are not aware of the sacrifices that athletes have to make and only see the result.

“People only see the race, but they don’t see behind the scenes, especially if a race doesn’t go so well.”

Learning from mistakes, says James, is an important part of an athlete’s development.

But speaking to people, he insists, is vital, rather than dwelling on negatives and becoming tortured by your own thoughts.

“What’s really important is how we learn how to deal with setbacks going forward as an elite athlete,” he added.

“A lot of sport is confidence driven and if you keep spiralling into negative thoughts, by the time you get to that next race mentally you’re not there and you need to be there.

“It is so important to speak to somebody, it doesn’t have to be family or friends it can be someone external who can give you that kind of impartial advice as they are not emotionally connected to you.

“It’s nice to just have a chat with someone about how the weather is, what coffee they like, how the football was on the weekend.

“My days revolve around training, eating, recovering and then repeat it the next day, so it’s nice talking to people about something else.”