Erica Sullivan battled mental health issues and coming out to represent Team USA

Erica Sullivan couldn’t see herself poised for an Olympic run four years ago. At the time she was dealing with the death of her father, coming out in her personal life and mental-health issues that would lead to her sitting down with a therapist.

Now she talks with our Five Rings To Rule Them All podcast about all of that, in addition to her hopes and dreams for the future, including the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In the conversation, Sullivan doesn’t hold back. She is an open book, discussing the reactions of her teammates and coaches to her coming-out and other struggles. She also discusses why she decommitted from the Univ. of Southern California, and why she thinks athletes committing to colleges at the age of 16 may be a bit premature.

You can listen to my conversation with Erica Sullivan on the Megaphone player, or by visiting Apple podcasts for an easy browser player. Five Rings To Rule Them All is also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more platforms. Just search for Outsports wherever you get your podcast.

You can follow Erica Sullivan on Instagram @erica.sully, and on Twitter @erica_sully.