Vegas Golden Knights: Lehner sheds light on lockdown life as an athlete
We are all no doubt finding lockdown tough without any Vegas Golden Knights hockey, and now a player has revealed what the hiatus has been like from their perceptive.
It is approaching two months since the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the sporting world went on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is no clear date for a return for any of our favorite sports.
Let’s be honest, and while we are aware that there are far more serious things going on in the world right now, no hockey and no Golden Knights has left a huge void in all of our lives.
But, while we may struggle by having no games to watch, it is far worst for the players and athletics in their respective sports.
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Okay, so I’m bound to get a few responses saying that they are incredibly well paid so they don’t have the right to moan, but that isn’t the point.
This is their entire lives and they have sacrificed an incredible amount in order to get to the top of their respective craft.
And, thanks to Sports Illustrated who are doing a brilliant job of covering the new normal via their ‘Daily Cover’ initiative, we’ve been given a peak behind the curtains of what life is currently like for a Golden Knights player.
Robin Lehner is an elite goalie in the National Hockey League but he also has a complicated but very inspiring backstory.
Battling a Bipolar 1 disorder, Lehner also dealt with alcohol and drug addiction before receiving treatment.
His recovery and rapid ascent paints a truly inspiring tale and the 28-year-old now does incredible work in raising awareness about mental health and addiction.
However, hockey was Lehner’s refuge and, like all athletes, he is also a creature of habit so not having the routine that being a professional NHL player must be tough.
SI Daily Cover: Losing a sport “can really mimic the grief and loss process that people experience when they lose a loved one,” says Kensa Gunter, a sports psychologist who works with USOPC.
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 29, 2020
Athletes are finding different ways to cope https://t.co/mbDXi2Hy6k
Hockey is effectively Lehner’s safe space and, without it, the goalie is having to adjust to his new normal and is having to find other things to fill his time and keep his mind occupied.
It again reminds us that there can be a different side to the glitz and glamour we all associate with professional sports and athletes, and sports stars are also having to cope with having their life placed on temporary pause.
Lehner’s story is a compelling one and it is fantastic that the Golden Knights goalie has again highlighted mental health, particularly during this current situation where many people will be struggling.
Next. Elliott could be a smart pickup. dark
These are scary and uncertain times for us all and that includes athletes and our favorite sports stars, who are too having to adjust to having their routine stripped away from them.
You can read the full brilliant story by Sports Illustrated here.