Dear Family, Friends, & Followers,
If you’ve found yourself on this page, let me welcome you to our mission and our greater family. My name is Leeann and I will be serving as the Editor in Chief of The Hidden Opponent. As you may already know, The Hidden Opponent recently merged with another mental health organization, so we are in an exciting process of expansion. Nevertheless, The Hidden Opponent remains steadfast in its mission to advocate and educate on mental health topics, as well as connect athletes, coaches, and fans.
Founder Victoria Garrick launched The Hidden Opponent in October 2019. Since then, thousands of followers have connected with The Hidden Opponent on Instagram. Many of you have graciously shared your mental health story with us. Within weeks, The Hidden Opponent grew to be a community of inspiring and caring individuals. With this growth came the need for a larger team!
In April 2020, Ben Ruvo signed on as the President & CEO of The Hidden Opponent. Ben had previously founded OpenMindGymm, another mental health advocacy group. Victoria and Ben had collaborated on podcasts and posts throughout their time as mental health advocates, but ultimately decided to join forces for a stronger impact.
Since this merge, The Hidden Opponent has only continued to grow. We hosted our first online event this month, a #ProPerspective talk with three sport professionals. In addition to our Student-Athletes Facebook group, we began a Facebook group for Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and Athletic Administrators to connect and share resources. Finally, we are proud to present this new website, which will be updated with blog content on a weekly basis.
This is only the beginning of The Hidden Opponent’s journey. Our team constantly buzzes with new ideas and passion for the cause. No matter what, the best part of our work is connecting with followers. Welcome to the revamped Hidden Opponent. Thank you for joining us and sharing in our mission.
Best,
Leeann Passaro