Mikkel Hansen hung up his shoes after winning the Olympic gold in the summer. But 2023 was a tough year for the Danish player. Now, Hansen opens up and shares his story in a documentary on Danish DR1 about that period – and his depression.
– There was no joy in anything, everything was just gray and meaningless. Everything felt pointless. In the end, it was just… I was done, says Mikkel Hansen.
Just 1.5 weeks after Mikkel Hansen won his third consecutive World Championship gold with Denmark, the news came that the superstar was on sick leave. It was publicly announced that Mikkel Hansen was on sick leave due to stress-like symptoms, but privately he was also struggling with depression.
This is revealed by the 37-year-old and his wife, Stephanie Gundelach, in a documentary on Danish DR1.
– He said a lot of things that made me very worried. He had many dark thoughts and wanted to do things I had never heard him say before, says Stephanie Gundelach in the documentary.
Hansen and his family explain in the documentary that the sudden reaction was due to the enormous pressure that had been on him since his return to Denmark and Aalborg. It was his wife who ultimately made the decision.
– I became very worried, and I called his agent and said that Mikkel needed to take sick leave because he wasn’t doing well. I don’t know when he’ll come back, but he just needs to go home, says Stephanie Gundelach.
During his sick leave, Mikkel Hansen had no contact with handball or journalists. Instead, Hansen says that he was able to dedicate all his time to making his children laugh and share care with his wife.
– Today, I’m very glad that Stephanie made that decision. Because I don’t think I could have made that decision myself. I think I would have ended up in a much worse place, says Mikkel Hansen.
Both episodes are now available on DRTV.