Maggie Vanoni

In what started as a simple profile, turned into a two-month long reporting process. I talked with seven Oregon athletes (both current and former) about their battles with mental health while being a collegiate athlete. It was through their stories and my research that I learned this is a topic that desperately needed attention. Mental health is an ever-increasing societal-diagnosis, and my goal of this story was to help break its stigma surrounding athletics.

At the 2017 NCAA Final Four, Oregon cheerleader Sarah DeBois cheered in front of a crowd of 77,612 people, calling it one of the best moments of her life. Two-and-a-half months later, DeBois was diagnosed with cancer — stage 2A Hodgkin lymphoma. Being of her same age, I spent two months getting to know DeBois, learning how she remained positive throughout such a life-altering experience. 

A man named Mike White told a 7-year-old Lauren Burke to get out on the field when her older sister's club softball team needed an extra player. Now in college, Burke is playing once again for White. This time on a collegiate stage as an Oregon Duck. I spoke with Burke, her friends, family, former teammates and coaches, along with White and his family, to understand how that childhood moment launched Burke into her Oregon career.