Five-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds revealed she has struggled with the mental side of retirement and insisted the increased awareness of mental health is more than ever.

Simmonds wrote the final chapter of her glittering career in the pool at the Tokyo Paralympics two years ago, and admitted the adjustment to regular life has had its lows.

The 28-year-old shared her experiences of the mental side of sport at a SportsAid workshop that also saw the Prince and Princess of Wales in attendance to show their support for mental health awareness.

Simmonds revealed how discussions around mental health have come on leaps and bounds since she famously won two gold medals aged just 13 at Beijing 2008 and is now embracing her new life poolside.

“My mental health has probably got worse since retiring from the sport,” she said. “When you are an athlete, you know what you are good at and you have got an identity.

“Now going into this other world, you have lost your identity, a massive part of our routine. When you are swimming, you know where you have got to be every day, you have got a one-year plan, a three-year plan.

“Whereas now, this next chapter, you are trying to figure things out and still being able to talk to people is important when you go through highs and lows.

“When I was an athlete, I thought when I retired, I would have all the time in the world and wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything but it is not all roses. You definitely go through highs and lows, and the lows are very low.

“Mental health is being spoken about more and more, the likes of SportsAid talking about it is so powerful. At the start of my career, it wasn’t really spoken about.

“Going into Beijing, I didn’t really think about my mental health. I was just a kid so it wasn’t something I’d think about, it was just me going to a summer Games.

“Whereas as my career went on, at London 2012 there was a lot of home pressure, and I was more aware of my mental health.”

Simmonds shared his expertise alongside Commonwealth Games winning netballer Ama Agbeze, four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent, and current Great Britain hockey player and Olympic champion Shona McCallin as part of a workshop that saw young athletes learn strategies to help build their mental resilience.

The workshop was just one of many run year-round by SportsAid, who also support young athletes through vital funding and personal development opportunities.

The day also saw the Prince and Princess of Wales try their hand at goalball and netball, and SportsAid Chief Executive Tim Lawler MBE was thrilled with royal support for the work the charity is doing.

He said: “The support of The Prince and Princess is really special and exciting. 

“The Princess, as our Patron, has been so supportive and we know this is a topic she is hugely passionate about. 

“Both The Prince and Princess have been invited to join us and committed their time as a Patron – they engaged and shared their experiences with the athletes, who were also able to hear from multiple Olympic and Paralympic champions about their own personal experiences. 

“We are now ramping up our work around mental health and wellbeing. This a key space we need to move into – it’s an unmet need and it’s understood by athletes. 

“This event today is not just a one-off – it was a hugely fun day but we want to do even more heading into next year to further enhance our support for our athletes around health and wellbeing.”

SportsAid is seeking support from individuals and organisations to allow the charity to invest further in its mental health and wellbeing initiatives. Please contact Serena Castiglione, Head of Fundraising at SportsAid, on serena@sportsaid.org.uk if you would like to help provide talented young athletes, as well as their families, with the support and advice they need at a key time in their development.