Amber Glenn Discusses Mental Health After 2026 Olympics

The 26-year-old three-time U.S. champion said the experience taught her the importance of mental health in high-pressure environments. The first-time Olympian compared the Olympic village to a college dorm where every participant pursued Olympic glory.

She said the setting was intense but incredible, and that athletes often face the question of what comes next after reaching the Games. Glenn helped the United States win gold in the team competition. A mistake in the individual short program ended her chances of an individual medal.

She landed three triple axels during the Olympic campaign, becoming the first American woman to do so in a single Games. "I can’t even describe how devastating [the short program mistake] was," Glenn said. She noted that while she had rarely struggled with the physical demands of skating, the mental side had been a challenge throughout her 20-year career.

After the short program error, Glenn delivered her best ISU free skate score of the season in the final program. That performance allowed her to climb eight spots in the standings. She described the skate as a true Olympic moment supported by the crowd.

Months after the Olympics, Glenn won a bronze medal at the world championships in Prague. The medal came after she redeemed her short program performance from Milan.

Glenn faced online harassment that began before the Olympics and continued afterward. The messages intensified after her performances in the team event and women's short program. Her social media following grew by 39 percent during the Games, according to Sportico.

As the first openly queer female athlete in U.S. figure skating history and a mental health advocate, Glenn chose to remain active on social media. She said she viewed her platform, which now includes 1.5 million Instagram followers and 2.4 million on TikTok, as a way to connect with supporters.

"People are going to judge you either way, but making a difference in someone’s life is more important to me," Glenn said. She reported receiving messages from fans who credited her advocacy with helping them through mental health crises.

Glenn has partnered with CorePower Yoga for its Mental Health Awareness Month programming. She began practicing yoga at age 11 as part of her training. The partnership focuses on making yoga and meditation classes available for free to students throughout the month.

"Sometimes I can just shut my brain off," Glenn said of her yoga practice. She described how the intentional movement in yoga mirrors her skating technique. The initiative aims to increase access to mental health resources through mindfulness practices.

Glenn said the Olympics helped her better understand how to support herself and others in a sustainable way. She plans to continue advocating for mental health while determining her future in skating.