快活视频

By Kyle Hobstetter on January 17, 2019

Growing up in Santa Monica, California, Towson University gymnast always saw herself going to a school on the East Coast.

She was more willing to accept the challenge of moving across the country after attending a 鈥� summer camp before junior year of high school. After meeting with the coaches and seeing the campus, she realized that 快活视频was the place she wanted to be.

After a little more research, Lubarsky was ready to be a Tiger.

鈥淚 visited other schools, and every time I kept coming back to my parents and saying 鈥榥othing compares to Towson,鈥欌�� Lubarsky says. 鈥淐ommitting here has really been a dream come true.鈥�

Moving to Maryland has brought a lot of firsts for Lubarsky, including her first experience with snow and seeing her first deer, which aren鈥檛 exactly common in southern California. 

But as her first year at 快活视频continued, she found herself becoming more and more homesick鈥攅ven calling her mom four times a day. It got to the point where the lifelong gymnast didn鈥檛 even want to compete with her team.

Turns out it wasn鈥檛 as much about being homesick as it was something much more serious鈥擫ubarsky struggles with depression and anxiety. 

鈥淚nitially, I would scold myself for feeling the way I did, believing that I was 鈥榙oing it to myself,鈥� or making up excuses for why I was not succeeding at the unrealistic expectations I set for myself,鈥� Lubarsky says. 鈥淚t took months of researching the science behind mental health illnesses until I believed that depression is something that happens to you, not something that you 鈥榡ust make up.鈥欌��

After sitting out her freshman year to focus on her mental health, Lubarsky was finally ready to compete during her sophomore year. But right before the season started, she suffered another setback: a ruptured Achilles tendon.

While recovering from the injury, Lubarsky realized something鈥攚hile athletes have access to amazing resources for healing physical injuries, there is a lack in the support for the injuries, illnesses and struggles they face mentally and emotionally.

That鈥檚 why she partnered with Towson University鈥檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to create the 鈥淥wn Your Roar鈥� initiative, an awareness campaign that brings light to mental health issues that affect student-athletes. 

鈥淎lthough I still face struggles, I have learned how to compartmentalize the craziness of my life and truly enjoy the moment,鈥� Lubarsky says. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned to own myself, and I hope that through this campaign other students and student-athletes will recognize that they are not alone. They are capable and worthy.鈥�

Before presenting the idea to SAAC, Lubarsky met with Tricia Brandenburg, deputy director of Towson University Athletics and staff adviser to SAAC. After meeting with Lubarsky, Brandenburg was impressed with her initiative and her passion. 

鈥淚t has been great seeing Olivia develop and implement her campaign,鈥� Brandenburg says. 鈥淧eers, coaches and administrators recognize her passion and the positive influence she鈥檚 having within the department and on a bigger stage related to mental health."

The "Own Your Roar" Campaign Video 

After successfully rolling out 鈥淥wn Your Roar,鈥� Towson University gained attention from the 鈥淲e鈥檙e All A Little Crazy鈥� Global Mental Health Alliance, a nonprofit focusing on mental health by sharing the stories of athletes, musicians, artists and media talent.

The organization chose 快活视频as one of its stops for the #Same Here, Sit-Downs mental health tour. 

The event took place last September and featured former ESPN reporter Darren Rovell, Baltimore Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst and Atlanta Dream forward Imani McGee-Stafford. The three also participated in panel that featured 鈥淲e鈥檙e All a Little Crazy鈥� CEO Eric Kussin and Lubarsky herself.

鈥淚 was a wreck before the event because I was so nervous,鈥� Lubarsky laughs. 鈥淏ut looking around during the event and seeing so many people engaged, it was incredible. After the event, I had a lot of student-athletes coming up and thanking me, and I still don鈥檛 know why they are doing that.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

But Brandenburg has no difficulty understanding. She believes that in order to break down walls and build a new culture around mental healthcare, it must be led by student-athletes, especially one like Lubarsky.

Her passion and dedication propelled her to the 2018鈥�19 SAAC presidency. 

鈥淥livia鈥檚 confidence and willingness to share her story has had a profound impact on her fellow student-athletes,鈥� Brandenburg says. 鈥淭hey also recognized her innate leadership capabilities and instilled their confidence in her and this project, by .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Lubarsky has continued to find other ways to support student-athlete mental health awareness across the country.

She鈥檚 working with 鈥淲e鈥檙e All a Little Crazy鈥� and its #Same Here Student Alliance. She鈥檚 also a member of the Mental Health America鈥檚 Collegiate Mental Health Innovation Council. She鈥檚 even met recently with an accounting firm to discuss turning 鈥淥wn Your Roar鈥� into a nonprofit. 

But while she鈥檚 working to fight the stigma of mental health issues in student-athletes, she is still striving toward her goals as a Towson University student. This includes her academic work as a business administration major with a track in legal studies, and her focus on attending law school.

Lubarsky admits her experience at Towson University has included plenty of ups and downs. But thanks to her passion and the support system she has on campus, she can鈥檛 imagine a better university. 

鈥淎ll my professors, the athletic administration and my fellow student-athletes are so passionate and driven,鈥� Lubarsky says. 鈥淚 would not have gotten any of this done without them. My heart will always belong to Towson.鈥�