Breaking Barriers

Content Note This story discusses bipolar II, suicidal ideation, self-harm, suicide, and suicide loss. Please read with care and take space if you need it. At Breaking Barriers, we believe athlete stories deserve to be heard in their own words. Rosalie Judd is a pitcher and president of Montclair Club Softball, a mental health advocate, and the founder of Project Seams. Her story speaks to the mental health struggles that can exist behind an athlete’s performance, the devastating impact of...

Featuring insights from Ciara Gavin, Sport & Exercise Psychology Services Presentation: Athletes spend countless hours training their bodies to perform when it matters most. But physical preparation is only one part of performance. There are moments when everything feels automatic. Moments when months of training come together at exactly the right time. Moments when pressure is high, nerves are present, and an athlete still finds a way to execute. And there are longer periods when an athlete...

Abby Silberman, triathlete and mental health advocate. For as long as I can remember, sport has been a huge part of who I am. I started competing in triathlon at eleven years old, and through years of training, racing, and pushing my limits, I learned that athletics is about so much more than physical performance. Sport teaches resilience, discipline, and perseverance. It also comes with pressure, expectations, and moments of uncertainty that are often overlooked. Years of training taught...