Victoria Garrick is not only an accomplished collegiate athlete. She’s a speaker, TED Talk host, nonprofit founder, and mental health advocate who shares her story and message of support to millions. After struggling with her own depression and mental health in college, she gave her now famous TED Talk, “The Hidden Opponent,” in 2017, which explored mental health challenges for student athletes. Now her nonprofit The Hidden Opponent aims to raise awareness for mental health issues in teens and student athletes and provide support and resources.

 

Victoria joins Katie in our latest episode of Building While Flying to share more about her journey: from USC to the TED Talk stage to nonprofit founder. She’s open about her own struggles, not just with mental health, but with branding for her personal content versus nonprofit content, running a nonprofit, and dealing with burnout. She discusses the importance of a supportive community, vulnerability, listening to your gut, and growing the conversation around mental health for everyone—athletes and non-athletes alike.

 

In-flight topics:

• The TED Talk that started it all
• Real realness and vulnerability
• The current conversation around mental health
• Nonprofit branding vs. personal branding
• Building community around shared experiences
• Dealing with burnout
• ...and more!

 

Relevant Links:

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdk7pLpbIls

The Hidden Opponent website: https://thehiddenopponent.com/

Hidden Opponent IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenopponent/ 

Victoria LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-garrick-546459123/