Lauren Bernett; Katie Meyer; Sarah Shulze - these girls share more than just being division one athletes in common; they share the feeling of being an athlete struggling with mental illness, and unfortunately losing their battles. More than ever before, athletes are severely struggling with mental health issues involving various stressors from their environment such as over-training, injuries, social media scrutiny, and the ongoing pressure to perform. Mental health issues within athletes can occur within anyone and everyone; there is no specific level or athlete that can be affected more than the other. I can’t remember a time in my life where my life didn't revolve around sports. Whether it was playing wiffle ball in the street on a rainy day, going to watch my sister’s club basketball games, or juggling my own three sports, athletics simply always surrounded me. In reality, I didn’t want it any other way - a life without sports seemed boring. However, as I made the switch from travel athletics to varsity high school sports as a freshman, I had a rather daunting realization - this was no longer fun. Instead, it became homecoming dances being interrupted by practices, football games becoming non-existent for games, or even practices canceling family dinners. Getting up to go to practices was dreadful, each strike-out only worsened my attitude, and every sprint as a punishment made my resentment towards being an athlete heighten. Attempting to comprehend how something I used to cherish gradually became insufferable grew difficult, and I accepted soon after that my mental health as an athlete was suffering. This challenging point in my career not only changed who I am as a person today, but it also changed the way I view others. I now look back on this story of my mental health challenges within athletics and wonder how many others feel this way? Were any of my teammates struggling? Are they still hurting? My challenges during my early years of high school sports have inspired me to pursue a career in mental health, and eventually help others who were similarly struggling. I want to be the difference between someone who is struggling and their journey to getting better and healing. I find human emotions and feelings fascinating, and I want to guide others to celebrate life. I envision myself counseling and guiding not only athletes struggling with their mental health, but everyone in between who is seeking guidance. No one deserves to suffer in silence, and I aim to counsel individuals and remove the harsh stigma behind therapy. As my high school athletic career is soon coming to an end, I have now found my balance between school, sports, and my social life. With the help of professionals, friends, and family, I have now rediscovered the love I once had for sports and I aim to continue my journey through club softball wherever I decide to pursue my college education. I am currently deciding between three schools (Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and Ramapo), where I aim to study psychology and eventually become a clinical psychologist or counselor. As I enter the next phase of my life, I hope to also work towards a doctorate degree to future my education in the field of psychology in order to help others who are struggling in silence. No matter if you are a professional or highschool athlete, the importance of mental health is equal. I aim to be the difference in erasing the stigma of mental health within athletes as Lauren, Katie, and Sarah serve as my inspiration.