For many athletes, the toughest battles happen away from the public view. Stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and fear of failure can weigh as heavily as any physical challenge on the pitch.

Winnie Kananura Muyumbukazi works with athletes to help them overcome these struggles. As Rwanda’s only sports psychology coach, she supports both young and professional athletes, helping them strengthen their performance and maintain mental and emotional balance.

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Her path into sports psychology started when she noticed that talented athletes weren’t performing at their best, not because of skill, but because they weren’t ready mentally.

"I witnessed athletes struggling mentally with no one to turn to for support. I saw physically talented athletes underperforming, and the missing piece was always mental preparation and resilience,” Muyumbukazi told The New Times.

Determined to address this gap in Rwanda’s sports scene, she completed a year-long online sports psychology course from South Africa in September 2024.

Her inspiration comes from seeing the pressures athletes face off-field. She explained that when an athlete underperforms, people criticise them without understanding the challenges they carry such as anxiety, financial stress, injury setbacks, or family pressures.

Muyumbukazi noted that many athletes don’t even realise that sleepless nights, loss of confidence, or overwhelming pressure are challenges that can be addressed.

She explained that she helps them identify these struggles, teaches strategies to manage them, and encourages seeking mental health support as a normal part of athletic development.

"Seeking psychological support should be seen as a sign of strength and professionalism, not weakness,” Muyumbukazi said.

She stated that she provides both individual and group support, for example, she begins with assessments to identify challenges such as anxiety, lack of focus, low confidence, or fear of re-injury.

From there, she designs programmes that include visualisation (mental rehearsal of performance), cognitive restructuring (changing negative thought patterns), goal-setting (breaking down targets into achievable steps), stress management (techniques to cope with pressure), and resilience exercises (building the ability to recover from setbacks).

"Individual sessions offer athletes a confidential space to speak openly, while group sessions focus on team cohesion, communication, and peer support.”

The sports psychology coach noted that she delivers workshops on mindfulness, breathing exercises, and pre-performance routines, equipping athletes with skills for life beyond sports.

Challenges athletes face

She explained that athletes face a range of challenges, from injuries that bring fear of re-injury and a sense of lost identity, to performance anxiety and media scrutiny that can slowly erode confidence.

"Financial stress, inconsistent pay, and lack of financial literacy add pressure. Some struggle with post-retirement identity crises, abusive coaching, concentration issues, burnout, or loss of motivation,” she said.

Muyumbukazi noted that stigma is a major barrier, as many people see mental health support as something only "weak” athletes need.

She added that in Rwanda’s sports culture, athletes are expected to be invulnerable, and admitting mental struggles is viewed as a defeat or shameful.

"Male athletes face added pressure from societal expectations of masculinity, and many worry about judgment from coaches and management, fearing it could threaten their position,” she noted.

Muyumbukazi said that younger athletes are starting to accept mental health support, seeing it as similar to working with a strength coach, both help improve performance.

She stated that awareness is essential, and as mental health becomes more normalised, athletes feel safer seeking help.

Progress

The coach added that athletes who once struggled with their emotions are learning to stay calm under pressure, and those returning from injury are better prepared mentally, having worked through the fear of re-injury.

"Harsh self-criticism turns into self-talk that helps athletes improve. They set realistic goals with clear plans, which give them focus and motivation. Teams get stronger as communication and support among players improve, and many say that these sessions are the only place they feel heard,” she said.

Muyumbukazi said that support cannot stop at her sessions, she calls upon sports institutions to make sports psychology part of standard care, hire qualified coaches, provide mandatory mental health education, and put confidential systems in place.

She said that coaches need to be aware of how their words affect athletes, communicate in a constructive way, and create environments where it’s okay to show vulnerability.

Communities and fans should respond with empathy, offer helpful feedback, treat mental health as normal, and support athletes during tough times, the sports psychology coach added.

"Mental health should be treated as seriously as physical health. Just as no one questions an athlete seeing a physiotherapist, no one should question them seeing a psychologist. When we make this normal, athletes can really thrive,” she said.

According to Muyumbukazi, some people still see sports psychology as unnecessary and many facilities lack private spaces for confidential sessions.

She noted that financial constraints leave some athletes without support, and also limited awareness, cultural stigma, and gender disparities make it difficult for female athletes to access help.

Muyumbukazi added that success stories and conversations that normalise mental health are slowly changing the culture. She hopes that in the next decade, sports psychologists will be standard support for athletes in Rwanda.