Motherhood and professional help pulled this Aussie star from a dark place

Falling pregnant and becoming a mother proved a circuit-breaker Brooke Buschkuehl desperately needed to overcome mental health struggles and reinvigorate her long jump career.

The triple Olympian also credits the work she’s done with both a sports psychologist and a sports psychiatrist to the resurgence her athletic career has enjoyed, which she hopes will extend to gold medal glory in Glasgow.

Buschkuehl’s 11-month-old son Bobby was in the stands at Scotstoun Stadium as the Australian long jump veteran secured her spot in the Commonwealth Games final.

On Sunday morning (AEST), the 33-year-old will charge down the runway in front of her beloved Bobby and husband Nathan with her sights set on turning two Commonwealth Games silver medals into gold.

Crucially, she is not only in top nick physically, but feeling good above the shoulders.

“I felt like I needed to take control over my life and do things on my terms,” Buschkuehl told nine.com.au.

“In the years prior to having Bobby, I was overly focused on results and felt my self-worth was heavily tied to my athletics performance. Falling pregnant gave me a break from structured training and allowed me to live life as a normal person for a while.

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“Right now, I’m doing really well, focusing on my family, and showing up as the best mum and athlete I can be.

“I used to really get caught up stewing on the little things. If a training session didn’t go well or didn’t go to plan, I’d drive home overthinking everything. Now, I don’t really have the opportunity to worry about those things. You leave the track and go straight into ‘mum mode’.

“It’s also beautiful having my son Bobby on the sidelines watching me jump. It gives me a purpose I’ve never had before and makes me so grateful to live this life as both an athlete and a mum.”

Buschkuehl’s mental health deteriorated across 2023 and 2024.

She was attaching too much self-worth to her long jump results and, frankly, they were falling short of her lofty standards.

Complications with her physical health – specifically, coeliac disease and Hashimoto’s disease, both of which are autoimmune conditions – played their part in her struggling mental health.

She felt defeated. Importantly, she was able to accept it and sought professional help.

“The most important message is not to be afraid to seek help, and that’s what I had to do. I still see a sports psychologist frequently and touch base with a sports psychiatrist on a regular basis,” Buschkuehl said.

“If I didn’t get the help I needed, I probably would have kept spiralling to the point where I couldn’t be myself anymore. I’m really grateful for the support that I’ve got around me.

“Even reaching out to friends and family to speak up and open up about how you’re feeling makes a big difference.

“I’ve been someone who bottles up my emotions and is not super open with the people that I should be, but I have definitely learnt to be able to do that now.”

Buschkuehl is self-coached these days. She had been coached by her dad Russell for a long time but recently decided to go in another direction.

She pictures herself competing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, 12 years after making her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro as a 23-year-old.

But her immediate goal is getting her hands on elusive Commonwealth gold, having won silver medals at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.

“I want to win the gold medal, I really do. It’s definitely something I’d love, but it’s also something I don’t need,” she said.

“I just want to enjoy the whole experience and give it my best. If that’s enough to bring home a medal of whatever colour, I’d be absolutely stoked.

“I feel like I’ve got my spark back, which I didn’t have for a couple of seasons prior to having Bobby.”