THE MENTAL MATCHUP™ PODCAST: OUR TEAM
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Get to know The Mental Matchup™
A podcast focused on opening up dialogue about athlete mental health
Kat Zempolich
Co-Host, Director, and Co-Founder of Morgan’s Message™
she/her/hers
Hello hello! I’m Kat Zempolich. I played lacrosse at Duke, graduating in 2018. I went on to attend the Fuqua School of Business in the MMS Program. Since graduating, I helped co-found Morgan’s Message™, a non-profit organization striving to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. We (Morgan’s Message™) aim to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.
I dealt with mild depression through high school, but it wasn’t until my Junior year of college that I dealt more seriously with a mental health crisis. I am incredibly lucky to have a support system that was able to help me through it.
I am humbled, honored and incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to co-host The Mental Matchup™ with Sky. The creation of a platform to share stories illustrating that no one is truly ever alone in their struggles is empowering. I hope that The Mental Matchup™ will serve as a safe space for any human to share their stories, so we can continue to de-stigmatize, normalize and illuminate the truths surrounding mental health and wellness.
Schuyler Debree
Co-Host
she/her/hers
Hey! I’m Schuyler DeBree (‘sky-ler deb-rae’). I played soccer at Duke where I was an All-American and Academic All-American. I graduated in 2018, meaning I was lucky enough to be in the same class my aaaaahmazing cohost, Kat Zempolich. Unfortunately, most of the time we spent together at Duke was when we were injured in the athletic training room. BUT NOW we get to hang out and talk to incredible humans on our podcast about something we are both intensely passionate about — mental health.
I dealt with mild depression and anxiety through high school and college, but it wasn’t until I was in my second year as a professional soccer player that I had a major mental health crisis. I was playing at the Reign FC in the NWSL when depression, anxiety, and OCD mixed to create suicidal ideation. It ended my soccer career and left me dysfunctional and suicidal for 8 months. But I am incredibly lucky to have a support system that got me through it, and I am now the happiest I have ever been.
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to host this podcast and help create a resource to show people that they are not alone in their mental health battles. We hope that The Mental Matchup™ will be a safe space for athletes to share their stories, so we can de-stigmatize, normalize, and be honest about the realities of mental health.
Erin Menges
Podcast Recruitment Lead and Editor
she/her/hers
Hello! My name is Erin Menges. I was a student-athlete at The College of William and Mary where I played field hockey and majored in English. After college, I decided to try out a teaching career and did 2 year co-teacher program in Greenwich, CT. After realizing that teaching wasn’t for me, I took a leap of faith and moved to Denver, CO where I’m currently living and loving life!
Throughout my experience as a student-athlete, I dealt with the pressure of striving for unattainable perfection both on the field and in the classroom. Although I haven’t dealt with any severe mental health disorders, I think it’s important to also normalize the fact that any and all struggles, like overcoming a perfectionist mindset or body image issues, should not be overlooked.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Kat on this podcast to spread awareness for mental health. It has allowed me to listen and connect with incredible people whose passion for overall wellness is infectious.
My hope is that people continue to speak out and share their mental health journey and I’m so appreciative that I get to help share that with all of you!