ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Hania Taduran is the founder of Breaking Barriers. She is a current collegiate athlete who has struggled with her own mental health throughout her lifetime. Her father passed away from suicide when she was six years old and her male therapist when she was in high school. Whilst trying to balance her grief with her athletic lifestyle, she struggled with depression, performance anxiety, and loss of identity. In her early college years, she started taking time to heal her mental wellbeing the same way she did her physical health. She began journaling, learning to heal her inner child, and researching mental struggles. Instead of accepting the guilt and sorrow, she decided to use her experiences to advocate for others like those she has lost.

She has made it her goal to prevent others from feeling alone and unheard. She created a mental health awareness for athletes club at University of the Pacific, in hopes to spark the conversation of mental health in athletes when she noticed the lack of resources in the athletic world. She has dedicated her time to continuing this foundation to give herself and others a platform to feel safe speaking on their experiences without judgment. By doing so, she hopes to eliminate the stigma of mental health and create change. She is passionate that if breaking barriers helps at least one person who is going through a tough time, she will have made a difference.