Kate Middleton and Prince William Put Their Athleticism to the Test at Mental Fitness Workshop

The royal couple joined athletes in a test of athleticism and mental resilience

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive for a visit to mental fitness workshop run by SportsAid at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre near Marlow, west of London
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at the event in Marlow, U.K. Photo:

SUZANNE PLUNKETT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Kate Middleton and Prince William are under pressure!

The royal couple was up against it — physically and mentally — as they took part in a mental fitness workshop organized by the charity SportsAid on Thursday. The visit is part of a series of outings the Prince and Princess of Wales have conducted this week to mark World Mental Health Day.

Joined by SportsAid ambassadors — including gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and Commonwealth champion netball player Ama Agbeze — the couple visited Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, to take part in two practice sessions with young athletes focused on building mental resilience.

Catherine, Princess of Wales arrives for a visit to SportsAid at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre to mark World Mental Health Day
Princess Kate arrives at the event on Thursday.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

The first challenge saw the royal couple try to score points in a netball hoop under various external pressures, such as performing around the clock or with some crowd noise. Princess Kate raised her arms in victory after making a shot on her second attempt.

Then the couple participated in a game of goalball, a Paralympic sport for the visually impaired where all the players wear eyeshades or blindfolds. Tactile lines are used for players to feel where they are and the ball has an internal bell allowing the players to hear where it is.

Sharing a video on social media, Sportsaid explained, "Their Royal Highnesses have been blindfolded, to replicate the visually impaired conditions of goalball, as they attempt to score past the goalball athletes. The sport has to be played in silence to hear the ball which has a bell inside it….The Princess excelled!"

Goalball U.K. even responded to the post: "Brilliant!"

The couple arrived at around 11 a.m. local time. Kate, who removed her blue blazer to compete, had bandages on the first two fingers of her right hand once again — most likely a precaution with the games ahead in mind. She injured her hand recently while playing on the trampoline with her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive to attend a mental fitness workshop run by SportsAid at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow during the week of World Mental Health Day
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at the mental health event.

Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

SportsAid was established in 1976 and over almost 50 years, the charity has helped young British sportsmen and women aspiring to be the next Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and world champions. The Princess of Wales has been a patron of the charity since 2013.

"Today’s visit from The Prince and Princess of Wales is helping to raise awareness and understanding of the vital importance of supporting young people and their families to manage their mental wellbeing, recognising how they can help themselves, as well as each other, to build the skills for happy and healthy experiences in sport and life," Sportsaid said on X (formerly Twitter).

In 2022, the couple visited SportsAid’s Team England Futures program at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and were joined by Princess Charlotte, who revealed that her favorite sport at the time was gymnastics.

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The visit follows an Athlete Mental Health Survey conducted by SportsAid in association with BelievePerform, a specialist culture change consultancy. The survey found that 42% of young athletes say they “occasionally” feel anxious in their day-to-day life with 20% saying they “often” or “always” feel anxious and 40% of all athletes have “little,” “none” or are “not sure” of how much access they have to mental health services or support.

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales react as they visit SportsAid at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre to mark World Mental Health Day
Prince William and Kate Middleton visit SportsAid on Oct. 12, 2023.

Suzanne Plunkett - WPA Pool/Getty Images

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