Butler emphasizes the importance of athletes’ mental health for World Mental Health Day

NEED TO KNOW

• Gabi Butler says cheerleaders need mental focus and teammates who recognize when someone is struggling while talking to PEOPLE about World Mental Health Day, which falls on Oct. 10
• “Every great athlete has had days where they feel defeated, and that’s completely okay,” she shares
• Butler encourages people to find outlets and learn to take a step back from social media

Despite being just 28, Gabi Butler has been cheerleading for more than two decades — and knows all too well the highs and lows that can come from being an athlete.

“Mental health, especially as an athlete, is the most important thing,” Butler tells PEOPLE while on a hike. With the green landscape behind her, she says, “This is actually part of what I do for my mental well-being.” 

“I’m going through a lot right now. My dad is battling cancer. I had a previous injury that happened; nothing serious, it’s just a lot of stuff,” she adds. “This is a way that I get to unplug and help my mental well-being is by getting outside, enjoying nature and just seeing all the beauty that the world has.”

For World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, Butler, the two-time national cheerleading champion, talks with PEOPLE about the importance of mental health conversations. The athlete says she has noticed a spike in conversation around mental health when it comes to sports, but specifically when it comes to gymnasts and cheerleaders. 

“A lot of what we do is extremely mental. We have to really, really focus, and it’s not a sport that you could just play around with,” Butler explains. “Especially because it is a team dynamic. A lot of what we do is not something natural to the body.”

Being part of a team sport, she notes, requires athletes to give it their all, 100% of the time. 

“For everybody, we really draw close to each other, and if someone’s going through something, we really try to lift them up, because at the end of the day, we are a team and you’re only as strong as your weakest link,” she shares. “I think everyone should have a form of an outlet for their mental health. It’s the most important thing.”

After so many long days together, Butler says she can “tell instantly” when one of her teammates is going through a hard time. 

“If I knew my team the way that I do, which I usually know extremely well, normally, you could tell when someone is going through a little bit of a rough patch,” she says. “Everyone’s different. You have people that will immediately open up, or some people you might have to really, like, try it out, but you don’t wanna overstep.”

Having been in the spotlight and on social media, Butler understands that athletes, especially highly visible ones, have to balance their mental health and the pressures that come with the job.

She shares that it is “extremely important” to remember that the naysayers — often on social media — “don’t pay your bills.”

“These people aren’t the ones that are living your life; you are,” she emphasizes. “At the end of the day, everyone is gonna always have an opinion of you no matter what. You could be doing everything right. You could be doing every single thing right, and you’re always gonna have at least one person that says something negative.” 

Butler reiterates that “it’s important to stay true to yourself because at the end of the day, the only person that you have until the end of time is yourself.”

“If people don’t like you, then that’s okay. You just have to keep moving forward and the people that are right for you will fall in line, and they will be your support system,” she shares. “And sometimes it’s better to have one real friend than 100 fake ones.” 

Still, when the outside noise feels like too much to handle, Butler has learned to stay off her phone and social media. She says one of her favorite ways to distance herself is by doing outdoor activities, like swimming, biking, running and walking, to “disconnect a little bit.”

As for the next generation of cheerleaders, Butler advises them to “train your butt off, work your tail off, and really focus on your technique.” 

“You could do a certain skill, but it’s how you do the skill that matters and how you execute the skill. If you have good form, that’s a huge thing,” Butler shares. 

She also says to “never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, because there are people that are always gonna say you can’t do that, or you can’t do this, but if you listen to those people, they’re gonna just hold you back.” 

“If I listened to half the people in my life, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. You have to just tune those people out, and whenever someone’s being negative, you just have to block them out,” she adds. “You have to be like, ‘No, I’m not even gonna let that register into my brain.’ “

Butler emphasizes that “our brains are a lot more powerful than we even realize.”

“Our mental well-being is the most important thing. I think mindset is everything,” she tells PEOPLE. “I believe that we can do anything that we put our mind to. If you just are your biggest fan and you support yourself and love yourself, I think there are so many things that can happen for you.”

Even on days when she doesn’t feel the best, Butler reminds herself that she’s human and “everyone has days that they’re not the best.”

“Every great athlete has had days where they feel defeated, and that’s completely okay. That’s normal. We’re not supposed to have every single day of our lives be easy and successful. That’s what makes a champion a champion,” she says. “We have to go through those defeats or those hard practices or those times where we’re losing to think I want to get better and put my head down and work. Having those bad days is a good reminder of, ‘I don’t wanna feel like this again. What do I have to do to get better?’ ” 

Between the ongoing conversations about mental health in sports and the future of the Pro Cheer League, Butler is feeling optimistic about where the next generation of talent will land, both figuratively and metaphorically. 

“Something that’s exciting for me is seeing how talented this new generation is. They’re really setting the bar, doing things that I never even thought of doing,” she says. “The Pro Cheer League is really opening a lot of doors for cheerleading, and we never had anything like it when we were younger. Now it just gives kids something to look forward to rather than stopping after high school. There are so many opportunities that can be open for you.”

While “it’s lots of hard work” and takes “countless hours spent in the gym,” the payoff, she says, is “amazing.”

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