Cate Campbell says lack of pay contributes to swimmers' mental health struggles after Mollie O'Callaghan's teary admission
Australian swimming legend Cate Campbell says a lack of funding is partly to blame for many of the sport's stars struggling with mental health issues.
Campbell's comments come after five-time Olympic gold medallist Mollie O'Callaghan broke down at the Australian swimming trials when discussing the weight of expectation she faces coming into meets.
O'Callaghan is one of several swimmers who have found it tough to back up after starring at the Paris Olympics last year.
Unlike athletes in most sports, swimmers make almost all their income from sponsorships.
While the sport's top stars can make significant amounts through endorsements, others struggle to make ends meet and therefore are required to compete more often, leading to burnout.
"We do not pay these athletes enough," Campbell told ABC Sport Daily.
"We do not pay them enough for them to be able to sit back and relax in between their training sessions.
"We have athletes who are working and studying, trying to make ends meet. That grind is relentless, so, when you come to the end of a four-year cycle and you're facing the prospect of another one, it's no wonder you're exhausted, it's no wonder you're burnt out.
"Then you know you have to go and compete and be the best in the world if you want to be able to afford your mortgage, if you want to be able to afford your rent.
"These athletes are being paid tens of thousands of dollars, not hundreds of thousands, not millions, to be the best in the world. It is exhausting and what you are seeing is the toll that it's taking on them."
Campbell, who notched eight medals across four separate Olympic campaigns, said the sport had always been rife with athletes who struggled mentally.
"It's always been this bad. I think people are just feeling safe and empowered enough to talk about it," she said.
"It has always been a challenge. It has always been exhausting, but it was something that wasn't spoken about and wasn't acknowledged, and that is why we saw people retire (prematurely)."
Campbell used the retirement of legendary swimmer Ian Thorpe at just 24 as a prime example of a swimmer retiring early due to the stresses surrounding the sport.
Campbell suggested she would like to see backing of swimmers come from "corporate Australia".
"Once every four years these athletes make everyone proud to be Australian, and yet in the years in between, the years where we're competing at a World Championships or a Commonwealth Games, that support and that focus drops off," she said.
"I would love to see corporate Australia step up and be able to pay these athletes what they're worth through personal sponsorships, but even that goes to your top two per cent of your athletes.
"I would love to see some more support for the sport more broadly so we can have grassroots programs coming through.
"It is difficult. It is challenging. We're not on TV every week like the NRL or AFL. We're on TV once every four years where everyone is switched on, but we do have competitions in between now and then.
"We want to bring swimming back to being one of the premier sports.
"When I was a little kid, I can remember watching the World Championships every year because it was on a free-to-air broadcast, so we need that to continue."
The Australian swimming trials will conclude in Adelaide on Saturday.
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