There are so many things to unpack here. The best part of all of it is that Gracie and her team are diagnosing root causes as well as the problem and seeking to fix it. That's a huge relief and I know we all wish her well. Health first!
Some on here have said they didn't see this coming. I think the signs were there from her first GP event in Canada which was a disaster. To be successful in this and most sports, you need talent, drive/hard work and the ability to handle being in the spotlight, which means preferably you have to be the type to enjoy the big stage. Missing one of these 3 key ingredients can completely undo your career trajectory and for Gracie the 3rd one was a problem.
We're seeing it in Canada right now with tennis player Eugenie Bouchard. Sponsors throwing millions at her to be visible when she in fact hates the attention and would just like to play tennis without care of who's watching. It's so in her head right now, her career might be ruined quite soon without ever getting off the ground. Contrast that to 18-year old up and coming male Denis Shapovalov who plays his best when millions are watching. Put him on an outside court and take him off TV and he's completely average. It needs to be in your makeup and is hard to teach.
Many comments about a cruel sport and there is truth but it's not unique to skating. Remember this is a sport...and yes being thin and pretty looks good on magazine covers so there's a certain benefit; but regardless of your sport you are given direction to shape your body type, weight, strength and a bunch of things to perform optimally. Every skater is assessed to have target metrics in size, weight, strength and it's up to them to use the support around them and their own devices to get there productively and safely. Most of them can. I point to Adam Rippon as an example. I said here about five years ago that his body type isn't perfect for jumping (bigger booty makes for great layback though!) and his SS aren't the best, so he needed to lose at leave 5 lbs and get leaner and fitter. I caught so much hell for that. But you know what, he did it and his skating has improved immensely. And many many other athletes do this, too!
The breakdowns happen when your natural body type isn't perfectly suited to the sport and/or you are pre-disposed to issues of control or anxiety and other things right from the get go, which can take you off a constructive path to getting you to the physical place you need to be. This was the narrative we heard from Mary Beth Marley. Yes, she needed to be light and small for Rockne to work with her. But her body type isn't naturally tiny (short but not tiny)...AND...she walked into the sport with some mental instability in terms of how she managed the process. So she didn't get there safely and properly, and eventually the issues came to a head and she had to leave the sport.
My point is, don't blame the sport entirely, but recognize that not everyone's mental and physical makeup can get every body where it needs to be the right way. All athletes will be told to gain or lose, or build or shred etc....and we shouldn't fear that because it's for legitimate reasons tied to success in the sport. The battle cry is to make sure support systems and processes are in place to catch and redirect those who can't (or don't want to!) get there on their own.
Gracie has needed this for awhile and I'm glad the help has arrived in seemingly-full force before any consequences of tragedy.
