BY SETH MENSING | University Communications Manager
After NFL running back and Western Colorado University standout Austin Ekeler launched the Eksperience app, which gives fans direct access to their favorite athletes for a fee, Western student Bridget Feely saw it as an opportunity to benefit more than just one athlete at a time.
Instead, she thought the app could be an avenue to raise awareness and funds to help address a pervasive, if largely unseen, concern on college campuses: mental health challenges among student-athletes.
As a senior defender on the Mountaineer women’s soccer team, Feely and teammate Karly Morkunas were selected in the fall of 2024 as a Campus Captain by The Hidden Opponent (THO). THO is a nonprofit founded by former USC volleyball player Victoria Garrick to raise awareness of issues related to student-athlete mental health and reduce the associated stigma within sports culture.
The Campus Captains program recruits passionate student ambassadors like Feely and Morkunas who work to improve the culture around, and promote conversations about, the mental health of athletes on campuses around the country.
Now, Feely wants to combine her position, her passion, and the Eksperience app to bring awareness to student-athlete mental health.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death in this population, and this crisis is something that I have become very passionate about during my own time as a collegiate athlete,” she said. “Through Eksperience, my goal is to promote The Hidden Opponent and their mission in order to raise awareness in the community regarding the mental health challenges that athletes often face while also guiding users in what they can do to help.”
For more information, follow @tho_westerncolorado on Instagram.
The Hidden Opponent
Courtesy Photo
