USA Triathlon today announced a partnership with Talkspace, the nation’s leading online therapy provider, to provide counseling services to U.S. National Team and Toyota U.S. Paratriathlon National Team athletes. Talkspace is 100 percent online and mobile, making its services accessible at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and convenient for elite athletes who typically travel extensively during the triathlon season. The announcement coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, which aims to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.
The partnership is the first component of Transition 3 (T3), a new elite athlete service program launched by USA Triathlon to provide educational, career and wellness support for professional triathletes as they prepare for life after sport.
"USA Triathlon has been in conversations with Talkspace for several months as we have worked to create our elite athlete service program, Transition 3 — but as the COVID-19 pandemic began to change our daily lives in dramatic ways, we realized the need to fast-track this partnership. We prioritized making services available to our top elite-level athletes so we could support them during this challenging time," said Rocky Harris, USA Triathlon CEO. "As multisport athletes, we take great care of our physical health — but mental health is equally important to overall well-being. We are pleased to offer a convenient, high-quality and cost-free way for U.S. National Team members and USA Triathlon staff to access support."
"Mental health isn’t separate from, but rather a part of, an athlete’s 360-degree wellbeing," said Andrew Moers, Chief Marketing Officer of Talkspace. "The multisport discipline of triathlon is an incredible undertaking, and through this partnership, we aim to prepare elite-level athletes and equip them with wellness support during a time they need it most. With the ease and accessibility of Talkspace, national team athletes can approach services from the comfort of their homes and on their own terms. During these challenging times, we’re proud to partner with USA Triathlon and serve as a supportive arm to this inspiring community."
All Talkspace therapists are licensed, verified and background checked. After an initial assessment, clients are matched with a therapist customized to their needs, and they will continue to work with the same therapist for each session. Clients can access services from their desktop computers or via the Talkspace mobile app with text, audio or video messages up to five times per week.
USA Triathlon annual members will also receive exclusive discounts and offers from Talkspace throughout the year. In addition, Talkspace will contribute mental health-related educational content to the multisport community via usatriathlon.org, USA Triathlon’s Multisport Zone weekly e-newsletter and the quarterly USA Triathlon Magazine.
To learn more about Talkspace, or to connect with a licensed therapist, visit talkspace.com.
In addition to mental health and wellness support through Talkspace, T3 will also offer career and education resources to guide elite triathletes preparing to transition to the next phase of their professional lives. T3 will ultimately include a mentorship program; a variety of internship opportunities with USA Triathlon; an online professional development curriculum; and education services such as scholarship opportunities and tuition discounts.
Additional details about the T3 elite athlete service program are available at usatriathlon.org, and further information regarding career and education resources will be shared with elite athletes in the coming months. Elite athletes may also inquire about specific opportunities by emailing Melissa Otterbein, USA Triathlon Education Manager, at Melissa.otterbein@usatriathlon.org.
About Talkspace
Talkspace is a telebehavioral healthcare company. Its signature psychotherapy product connects individual users with a network of thousands of licensed therapists through an easy-to-use and HIPAA-compliant web and mobile platform. With Talkspace, users can send their dedicated therapists unlimited text, video, picture, audio messages and live video chat from anywhere, at any time. Therapists engage with clients daily, 5 days a week. Talkspace also provides psychiatry services, including prescription fulfillment, adolescent therapy and couples counseling.
Founded by Roni Frank and Oren Frank in 2012, with the mission to make therapy available to all, and eliminate the stigma associated with mental health, Talkspace has already been used by over 1.5 million people.
For more information about Talkspace, please visit talkspace.com. To learn more about online therapy, please visit talkspace.com/online-therapy. For more information about Talkspace commercial relationships, visit business.talkspace.com.
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