Toowoomba woman helps athletes address their mental health needs

More than $2 million has been invested in Toowoomba woman Annie Flamsteed’s mental health platform and now it’s helping young athletes from Australia all the way to the United States.

A FIRST-of-its-kind wellness platform focused on helping young athletes is taking the world by storm, and a Toowoomba woman is behind it.

Former competitive gymnast Annie Flamsteed started iNSPIRETEK as a solution to the growing mental health crisis in sport, with early supporters investing $2.5 million in the platform.

“As someone who struggled with mental health during my time as an athlete, I know how important the correlation is between a healthy body and a healthy mind in high-pressure sporting environments,” iNSPIRETEK CEO Ms Flamsteed said.

“Current sporting models that focus on elite athletes are missing a critical time in an individual’s development.

“Our goal is to drive positive behavioural change for athletes.

“Performance is just a by-product of that.”

iNSPIRETEK automates mental health interventions with data-driven technology that is both secure and private.

It enables organisations to track results, identify trends, as well as engage and educate their communities on a better understanding of holistic wellbeing.

The platform is already used by more than 10,000 school-aged athletes and more than 40 organisations.

National sporting bodies, clubs, and private and public schools using the platform include the Mental Health Foundation of Australia (MHFA), Classic Wallabies, 753 Playmakers, the International Association of Child Development Programs (IACDP), as well as Gymnastics QLD, Palm Beach Currumbin SHS and Gold Coast Knights, among others.

Among its higher-profile advocates are ESPN tennis analyst and legendary tennis coach Darren Cahill, who coached three players — Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and most recently Simona Halep — to Grand Slam titles and the world No. 1 rankings.

“iNSPIRETEK’s intervention technology addresses mental wellness in sport at a grassroots level, recognising that individual resilience cannot occur when a person is thrust into a rigorous training regime and public scrutiny without the proper tools and support,” he said. “The importance of this technology has been heightened in recent times, as more professional athletes have put a spotlight on systemic mental health issues affecting all athletes.”

The Australian Institute of Sport reported last year that one in three athletes were experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression that would typically require professional care. Nearly three in four in the Gen Z demographic struggle with emotional wellbeing, with more than 90 per cent reporting physical or psychological symptoms due to stress.

iNSPIRETEK employs close to 20 fulltime staff across Brisbane and Sydney and is currently scaling up both its APAC and US teams with a view for further expansion.

“The sheer speed and level of adoption tells us that this product is not only highly relevant but critical to the future of the sporting industry,” Ms Flamsteed said.

“The funding will be instrumental in pushing forward on growth within the APAC region, as well as product development and expansion into the US.”

iNSPIRETEK is available on both mobile and web-based platforms and has products developed specific to the needs of organisations, clubs, coaches and athletes.

Originally published as Toowoomba woman helps athletes address their mental health needs