While my site may say that I am an athlete, advocate, writer, and student, what does that really mean? Grab your cup of coffee, tea, or some other caffeinated beverage and take a seat while I tell you a little bit more about who I am.
Athlete
You probably already know that today, I am a Division 1 softballer at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. My journey to this point was anything but smooth, and in large part has contributed to all of the other elements of who I am. I began getting serious about softball in 7th grade, right after I was cut from my middle school team. In the six years from then to now, I have battled five significant injuries, all of which took me out of sport for extended periods of time. At the age of 14, I broke my leg during an at-bat, but continued to play on it for a month afterwards. This caused further damage that resulted in needing surgery. After months of physical therapy, I realized that recovery was more than just physical, and I was going to need to put in just as much work mentally to regain the confidence and trust in my body that I had lost. How, you might ask? As the goal oriented person I am, I set my sights on running a half-marathon that would take place exactly 13 months post-op, and I started training. Along the way, I found myself developing a passion for running, and fell in love with the freedom it gave me to explore both myself and the world. In the span of three months, I ran three races, capping them off with 13,1 miles, 13 months and 1 day post-op (yes, this is true!). Keep an eye out for another post soon that will tell my story in detail!
Advocate
As previously mentioned, throughout my many bouts of rehab and recovery, I learned that the process of recovery is so much more than just physical. Yes, stitches come out and broken bones mend themselves, but each of these leaves its mark on you mentally, especially as an athlete. An unfortunate aspect of high level sports is that many teams and organizations are run as businesses - meaning that when you are no longer of use to the team, then you are no longer a part of it. Coming back from an injury to learn that I had already been replaced was one of the hardest pills to swallow in my athletic journey, especially at 15 years old. I felt as though I had lost sight of who I was, as an athlete and as an individual. I had based so much of my self-worth in my ability to play softball that I was thrown into a battle of me against myself, I was fighting my own mind and body. I was lucky enough to land myself on a new team with a coach who promised me a second chance. This second chance was not only one for my softball career, but also for me to redefine who I was going to become. It was at this point that I decided that, if my story could help someone else, then I would use it for good. Today, I am a Campus Captain and mental health advocate with The Hidden Opponent and Let's Get Real nonprofits, and I have fallen in love with the work I do.
You can check out even more of my work on Instagram, @tho_setonhall. I am incredibly passionate about the work I do for the causes that I care so deeply about (a lot of this can be seen in my writing), and big things are in the works for the future!
Writer
Just recently, I was going through old memories and came across more journals than I can count on my fingers from when I was a kid. I was your typical loved-english-but-hated-math type girl, and I was always coming up with stories. A long time John Green fan, I loved realistic fiction, but as I got older I started to explore the worlds of non-fiction and poetry. With a piqued interest in politics and advocacy, I dabbled in political poetry and journalism (read one of my favorite works here).
Aside from just my professional work, I am admittedly a huge nerd for aesthetically pleasing journals, musical theater (living 30 minutes from Broadway is incredible!), perfectly curated Spotify playlists (follow me!), and I am a choir nerd as true as they come.
Student
Can't have student-athlete without the student! Unsurprisingly, I am a Public Relations major at Seton Hall University with a special interest in visual media and content creation. While if you asked me right now what I wanted to do for a living I might stare at you blankly, I know that my strengths lie in communication and public speaking - so I feel pretty comfortable that I've chosen the right field. I am a huge lover of learning, and when I get hooked on a topic you better believe that I will know all there is to know about it.
Anything Else?
While I currently live in South Orange, NJ, just a quick train ride from the Big Apple, I am a New Englander at heart. A native of tiny Rhode Island, I do consider myself a city girl, but the ocean is a like a home away from home. I live for sailboat rides and oceanside restaurants, but if I had to pick a favorite city, it would be Boston hands down.
I am an East Coast girl no doubt, but I'm more than grateful to have had the opportunity to figure that out through travel. My softball journey has certainly had its ups and downs, but one of the most incredible parts is the places it has taken me.
I am admittedly also a huge adrenaline junkie. I whole-heartedly believe that sensations are the best thing this life has to offer, and I want to experience as many as I can - no matter how scary it may be. I am a roller coaster fanatic, and cannot wait to one day check sky diving and bungee jumping off my list. Shout out to Cedar Point for being my all-time favorite park.
Apart from all this, I am just a cheesecake eating, energy drink enthusing, ex-gymnast (did you catch the handstand pictures?), cute gym 'fit loving (shout out to Athleta, I work there seasonally and it is such an amazingly inclusive brand with even more amazing clothes), video game playing, athleisure wearing (once again, and I cannot stress this enough, Athleta!) girl who can't wait to see what else life has to offer.
Signed,
