GEOFF BENNETT: Millions of# people are closely watching## the performance of Olympic champion# Simone Biles as she competes for gold.

Biles' stunning athletic feats are the primary# reason, of course, but she has also helped open## the door wider to conversations around mental# health and the incredible pressure to compete,## as have other Olympic greats like Michael# Phelps, Naomi Osaka, and Jamie Anderson.

Amna had a conversation just before the Games# began with Apolo Ohno, the most decorated## American Olympian of the Winter Games.

He's# now an entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

AMNA NAWAZ: Apolo Ohno, welcome back to# the "News Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

APOLO OHNO, Olympic Medalist:# Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, you are so# respected and so adm.. not only by so many fans, but also by so many# athletes looking to follow in your footsteps.

I'm curious, have any of this year's# Olympians reached out to you looking## for advice?

And if so, what kind# of questions do they ask you?

APOLO OHNO: Well, I mean, first off, I'm honored# that you would say that.

My competing days## feel like a lifetime ago, and I get# probably just as excited as anyone else## who's watching this new or resurging group# of athletes go and compete again in Paris.

I don't communicate with that many of# this -- I would say this team.

Obviously,## I'm a Winter Olympic athletes, so a lot# of my existing relationships go back into## that realm.

But I will be in Paris and# I will be cheering those athletes on.

And it will be very interesting to see,# given all of what has happened over the## past four years globally, both on terms of what# is in these athletes' minds, how they prepared,## the entire landscape of the world, how much# have people gone through in terms of resilience,## and it's -- I think we need these# Games.

We need these Games badly.

AMNA NAWAZ: What do you mean by that when# you say we need these Games and especially## for these athletes who, as you say, have# been coming out of these last few years,## when we know we have seen a# worsening of a mental health crisis?

I know this is something you talk about a lot and## resilience.

What are you looking for in# these athletes?

What do you want to see?

APOLO OHNO: Well, I think we# saw this conversation around the## destigmatization of the word mental health and# people who suffer or are in a place where they## feel like they don't have the resources, they# don't have access, and that they're not OK. And there's usually a long lag that is# associated with that.

And I think that## we're seeing obviously all the effects with# social pressure of these different tribal## kind of extreme views and subscriptions# to whatever belief systems that you have.

And it feels like sort of fractured time# in society.

And the beautiful part about## what the Olympics is supposed to embody and stand# for is this unification globally around providing## a platform for these athletes to showcase their# best physicality and their best mental component.

And, as we saw, some of the greatest athletes in# the world bowing out of competition at the height## of their -- in the peak of their careers,# and it took back some by surprise.

And so## the Games are required and needed, I believe,# because sport is a unifier.

It is a place that## brings the world together and at least gives us# a two-week period of time where we can breathe,## we can cheer, we can see the amazing feats of# these amazing men and women from around the world.

AMNA NAWAZ: What was it like# when you were coming up?

Could## you have conversations around mental health?

APOLO OHNO: Well, I think, obviously, with# every athlete that is retired -- I'm 14## years retired now.

And I kind of# look back at my career and I say,## well, back when I did in my day, it# was a very different conversation.

But the reality is, the resources were not# at the priority of what the athletes needed,## required.

Or, to be completely frank, we# didn't know what that even meant.

The words## mental health really was mental performance.# That's where we focus a lot of our time.

The prize is obviously very important.

That's# why there's only three spots on a podium, gold,## silver and bronze.

We pay attention to that# medal count more so ever today than we did in## the past.

But we can never lose sight of the# powerful form of the journey to get there,## because I can tell you, almost 15 years retired,## when I look back on my career, I don't really# remember standing on top of the podium.

The memories are there.

They're ingrained.# But the most powerful were the times when no## one was watching, when it was behind the# curtain, when it was me against myself,## digging, striving, trying to# find that extra 1 percent.

And I think that's what people can derive from# these experiences, is that, while we might not## always be able to control these outcomes, in that# process is where the true prize can actually be.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tell me more about your own personal# experience then, because when you go all in,## as you have to, to compete at that# level, what does it mean for you## when you decide to change paths, as# you did when you decided to retire,## to leave this sport that had defined so# much of you for so long?

What was that like?

APOLO OHNO: Yes, if I can give you# an example, I wrote a book called## "Hard Pivot," and there's a chapter in the# book and it's called "The Great Divorce."

And, imagine -- and everyone will go# through some significant hard pivot,## some loss of identity or loss in general, a# loved one, a situation, financial hardship, some## hardship.

And that great divorce that I'm speaking# from experience was in the back of my head.

I have to tell you, there had been# hundreds of people that had said,## Apolo, prepare for what you will# do after sport.

And in my head,## I could not wrap my head around what I wanted# to do post-sport.

There wasn't anything I wanted## to do.

I felt like my purpose, my being,# my entire ethos on this planet was to go## around in circles on these speed skates# wearing these superhero outfits, right?

I didn't know how ridiculous that really meant# back then, but that's that was the power of belief## in that moment.

But when you retire, either by# force or by choice, those guardrails go flat.

And## now you have the athlete kind of swimming in the# sea of unknown.

They don't know who they are.

They## don't know what skill set that they have developed# yet.

There has been no professional coaching.

And many have put off any collegiate or# academic studies, in lieu of pursuing their## dream of becoming and representing the United# States at the Olympic Games.

And that comes## with some sort of a cost, as with everything# in life.

And so for me, there was no plan B.

And so for all of those athletes# who will be going into Paris,## into these Olympic Games and# preparing for the retirement after,## nothing that I will say to them will resonate# until those feelings of quiet, of solemn,## when all the lights have dissipated, when# the sponsors are no longer calling, when the## agent has gone on to the next great athlete, the# next great story, and you're left with yourself.

But they have to remember that within this is this# untamed potential and reservoir of opportunity## that they have to restart again.

AMNA NAWAZ: Apolo Ohno, still out here leading# and inspiring so many people in the wa.. thank you so much.

It's always# a pleasure to speak with you.

APOLO OHNO: Thank you.

Nice talking to you.