Garrick to discuss personal struggles during AC Disability Awareness Week

Posted Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Author: Mickey Alvarado

Victoria Garrick, a former University of Southern California (USC) volleyball player, mental health advocate and TED Talk speaker, will be Adrian College’s 2021 Disability Awareness Week speaker. The free, virtual event, titled “The Hidden Opponent: Put Your Mental Health First,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24.

Garrick was a walk-on player for the No. 1 ranked University of Southern California volleyball team in 2015 and became a four-year starter. She helped USC win a PAC-12 championship, made two Elite Eight appearances, finished first in the PAC-12 conference with the most total digs in 2018, and ended her career in 2019 with the top five most digs in program history.

Despite a successful career on the surface, the high-pressure environment and intense demands of the student-athlete schedule took a toll on Garrick’s mental health. She first began sharing her story of how she battled and overcame depression and anxiety as a student-athlete in her 2017 TED Talk, “The Hidden Opponent,” which has been viewed over 350,000 times. Garrick openly discusses her past struggles with body-image and self-love, and will share her battle with mental health, and the path she walked to find healing and strength.

Garrick has been featured in The Players’ Tribune, USA Today College, and PopSugar, where she has shared her mental health story and the path she walked to find healing and strength. Since then, Garrick has brought her message of wellness and self-care to college campuses throughout the country. She has amassed more than one million followers on her social media platforms, where she is known for her positive media campaign, #RealPost.

To register for the online event, email amcgovern@adrian.edu.