After a long road of mental health and Olympic success, Davis may finally say, “gold, gold, gold.”
S. Oumiha Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
You’d never know it from Keyshawn Davis’s easygoing demeanour and unflappable assurance that he struggled with mental health challenges in the four years leading up to his Olympic debut as a lightweight boxer for Team USA.
The 18-year-old Virginian spent his senior year in a mental health institution after his anxiety and fury became so overwhelming that they forced him to drop out of school.
There, he observed younger children talking through their difficulties and learned to do the same.
Davis claimed those times are over and that nothing will stop him from earning the first Olympic gold medal for U.S. men’s boxing since 2004.
The Trophy is mine to keep.
Absolutely not a question “On Saturday, after defeating Rio silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha, Davis made this statement. A tremendous hook from Davis sent the Frenchman reeling, and the referee called an end to the fight.
“The only option I have is to acquire gold. I plan on succeeding and my goal is to win a gold medal.”
Davis noted that going up against a top-seeded boxer in only his second fight had only served to motivate him more.
“They’re Starting me off with these more Difficult Opponents.
I feel like they’re trying to kick me out of the competition early and it’s kind of demeaning “”I only found out last month that I made it through the International Olympic Committee’s Boxing Task Force,” Davis added.
“Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself to get up for each fight. If you gave me Andy Cruz on day one, I wouldn’t care if he was a two-time world champion for Cuba. And then I would have beaten him and been able to move on with my day.”
Although Davis has dealt with his mental health issues, he admits that the many months spent in quarantine have been challenging for him and other sportsmen, and that he hopes to return to the professional boxing world after Tokyo.
Quarantine can be Difficult for some, but we elite Athletes are used to it.
Because of how hectic our schedules are, we rarely take care of ourselves “His words.
“All the best to the Olympians, to all the athletes who have travelled so far to compete in these games. Having experienced the worst that mental illness can throw at you, I can empathise with anyone going through it.”
