The Whole Student: Talking Mental Health with Olympian Deborah Saint-Phard ’87

I first came to know Deborah Saint-Phard ’87 when I invited her to be the keynote speaker at a student-athlete wellness leader dinner. I knew she would inspire current students as a record breaker in Ivy League track and field (shot put) and a representative of Haiti in the 1988 Summer Olympics. And her whole story was even better than her resume: As a sports medicine physician in Colorado, the parent of two college-age children (one is at Princeton), a champion, and an Olympian, she is passionate about the challenges and rewards to be found in the Olympic spirit and stories. With the summer games beginning this week in Paris, I asked her to discuss the “whole student,” elite athletics, and academics, and how she reflects on her own Princeton experience. — Jess Deutsch ’91

As a student-athlete at Princeton in the 1980s, what was it like to strive for excellence in academic and athletic pursuits? 

It was a rude awakening. Having been a four-sport athlete and top of my class at Slidell High School, it was a shocker to find that being at the top was no longer a given. I expected to get straight A’s, be a starter and an All-American. But instead, I sat on the bench behind an All-American. I had to get perspective — quick. I was pre-med, I needed to study, go to class; I was in the Tigressions; I had practice and travel for meets and games. I made a decision that I didn’t want to be stuck in the library for 10 hours and get straight A’s. I accepted the fact that I was not going to be perfect in all these areas so that I could be happy in a lot of them.

As a parent of college students who is also a physician and also a former collegiate athlete, what worries you most when you think about campus mental health today? What do you think parents, faculty, and administrators can do to promote better health and well-being on our campuses? What do you think are the essential components of self-care?

As a parent, with two college-age kids, I think of all the campuses that we have visited, and all the talks we’ve been given. It still doesn’t seem that the care is fully integrated into the college experience. While Princeton is known to be the leader of all things excellent, it disappoints me that we aren’t leading around mental health. We seem to lead with creating a product that is recognized worldwide, with academic rigor as the only good. I think we need to foster excellence, yes, but also to recognize the student as a human with complexities that include their spirit, their being.

Personally, I had amazing runs and then I would completely choke. I had anxiety. Everyone thinks everybody else is fine. We need leadership to acknowledge what students are saying, to see their distress. As an alum, as a parent and a doctor, it’s distressing to think students are unheard. I want to hear that the best universities are holding the full complexities of who these students are in the cauldron of academic and athletic excellence. We know what a person needs so they can flourish and thrive.

As for self-care, all the evidence shows the importance of sleep. The data is incontrovertible in terms of, should I stay up to study or go to sleep? The answer is, go to sleep. Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep should be the Princeton Pre-read. You need to know what works for you for your best mental and physical acuity. You also must get outside the Orange Bubble. Students need to identify the little things that make them feel better — which music, food, clothes, friends fuel them.

As someone who follows college, Olympic, and professional athletics, what do you think are some of the best lessons that the “weekend athlete” can draw from those who perform at the highest levels? How might habits of excellence inform lives of purpose and well-being for the rest of us?

When I watch the Olympics, I see perfection. I am in awe. Absolute awe of the focus and drive, the intention, the bodies, flexibility, strength, control, balance, their minds. What makes me interested is hearing their stories — which is why I turn it on. I’m so curious about who these people are, and how they got here and why. Sometimes, through significant adversity, they get on that stage. I think that the weekend athlete has to recognize what goes into that.  

I didn’t realize [that] until I stopped competing. I didn’t get how good shape I was in, how strong I was, how technically dialed in we were. I didn’t because you’re doing it all day, it’s just what you're doing. It is your life for years. You’re just walking around, being yourself.

You’re not doing all those hours if you are a weekend athlete. Weekend athletes have to be more intentional about warming up, getting their bodies ready to adapt and take on the physical stress of an activity. And the performance-enhancing areas that are missed a lot by recreational athletes are nutrition and sports psychology. 

As a sports medicine doctor, I see people who are pursuing amazing feats and have day jobs. In Colorado the pursuits are really hard. So they have to think about how they take care of themselves, meet goals; how to execute a practice plan. How do you fuel the body for recovery, so you’re not overtraining and getting overuse injuries? And then what happens if you do get a stress fracture, what happens if you tear your ACL? I see how physical and mental are intertwined. Injury and illness.

So for the young and hopeful kids who might be like I was, I think the brighter their stars shine, academically and athletically, the more the more we need to really focus on providing support, care and understanding of them as whole beings, not just pushing harder.

We need them to know they are not just being seen because they’re smart or athletic, or because they sing, or whatever. We have to see people, even Olympians or Princetonians, as whole people. We [need to] include the complexities that could be issues around eating, depression, or identity. This is what students are facing when they arrive on a college campus. It’s like, who am I, all of me? It’s like, I made it here. Now what?

I’m grateful that the people who surrounded me reassured me that there’s nothing wrong with me. I was given room to pursue my dreams. I was able to get the support to eventually compete in the Olympics and represent Haiti. I am grateful that my mom believed in me and then coaches did. Princeton taught me how to advocate for myself. I had to know myself and what I wanted, see what was offered, then reach and pull in the supports to be successful.

What’s your favorite part of the Olympics to watch these days?

The opening ceremony! I’ve been watching since I was 6 years old, watching with my brother in awe. I’m excited to watch Paris and I hope to watch as much as I can. I just love the competition. I love the stories. 

I’ll zoom into some things set up for Olympians to watch together. It’s really cool, and very special to have been a part of it.

Interview conducted and condensed by Jess Deutsch ’91.