Gwyneth Young: Why I Became a Campus Captain

As The Hidden Opponent (THO) kicks off the July 2026 Campus Captains application cycle, our current and former Campus Captains (CC) are sharing their experience in the program!

As a four-year Campus Captain, Gwyneth Young has embodied The Hidden Opponent’s mission at Elizabethtown College, bringing meaningful change to her college community. She shares more about her experience and what inspired her to join the program.

Can you share a little more about yourself?

I started running cross country and track and field in middle school. In high school, I was a top all-time runner for the state of Pennsylvania in the 3200m.

I originally committed to the University of Pennsylvania and started in the fall of 2021, but I only lasted a semester. There, I saw my mental health hit rock bottom while also dealing with the worst physical injuries I'd ever had. I thought about suicide more than once, and knew after my tibial reconstruction surgery, I needed to leave. I was also dealing with a lot of trauma from my high school career, so I was in consistent therapy to help cope and heal from that. I was also in back-and-forth recovery for a debilitating eating disorder that contributed to the ideations and breakdowns I had at UPenn.

I committed to Elizabethtown College during a gap semester, but had to take a year of residence due to transfer rules for poor academic standing. During this time, I volunteered at JP McCaskey, where the track team won the league and district. I started running my sophomore year collegiately, but was shut down early in my XC season because I had to undergo screw removal surgery in my ankle.

I was able to break 19 minutes in the 5k again (18:45) and qualified for the regional championships in the 10k because I ran 40:06 my junior year! I graduated in the spring of 2026 with my Bachelor’s of Arts in Criminal Justice and Communications with a minor in Sociology (trust me, I know this is a wacky combo!). 

What inspired you to become a Campus Captain? 

I saw a post on Instagram about the program and thought it would be really helpful! At the time, I was still recovering from high school, UPenn, and physically from my surgery, so I thought it could be a good way to meet people who care about athlete mental health as much as I do. I also wanted to be an advocate for neurodivergent athletes, as I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and OCD in 2021 before I left UPenn. I really related to Victoria Garrick Browne as a former D1 athlete who wanted more awareness of the pressure athletes face, so I knew THO was for me.

What was your favorite part of the program?

Two different things! I loved the different Zoom lectures we had because they covered such a wide range of topics. I personally loved the tough versus abusive coaching lecture; it was healing in a way for me and helped me identify behaviors. Getting to hear Malaki Sparks speak about his advocacy for mental health this year was such an amazing opportunity as well (even if I'm a diehard Jaguars fan). Secondly, I got to meet my co-Campus Captain this past year, Marah! Marah was such an amazing addition since I was mostly running THO at Elizabethtown by myself with the help of SAAC, so THO helped me also make a lifelong friend.

Can you elaborate on some activities or events you participated in or hosted this year, whether that be at your school or through the THO community? 

I helped create mental health awareness games at Elizabethtown through an awareness speech at the beginning and green somewhere on the athlete throughout the game! I would collaborate with our SAAC about which team was which month and what was needed. Since we didn't have a budget, it was mostly working with what teams already had or were willing to buy personally. Our most successful event at Elizabethtown the past two years was in December during finals week, we would have a positivity board with snacks! People could write positive messages to each other, and it was displayed in the student-athlete study lounge, along with snacks, and this year, LMNT provided free samples as well! I also participated in the spirit weeks for THO each year, and this past year we had a successful chalking day. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment as a CC? What positive changes have you seen on your campus through the program?

I would say my biggest accomplishment as a Campus Captain was having student-athletes on campus become more vocal about mental health awareness and standing up for themselves. Through the THO program at Elizabethtown, we saw SAAC grow and create a more open and safe space for mental health awareness, and more athletes want to get involved throughout the years. I started my freshman year alone, and am leaving THO Elizabethtown with 3 future Campus Captains! 

What has been your biggest takeaway from the CC program? 

I learned about the community behind mental health awareness. I always felt alone in my awareness or like the odd man out, but I realized just how many student-athletes want to bring the same awareness as me, and we can work together for a greater mission!

What is next for your personal journey? 

I'm going to be attending Suffolk University in Boston to obtain my Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing and run my final year of eligibility under Coach Feldman! After that, I would love to work for the Jacksonville Jaguars (TLaw hit me up, we can be bffs 👀).

What advice would you give to current and future Campus Captains? 

Put yourself out there! I was definitely scared at first because of just how MUCH THO had to offer, but I realized just to take it one step at a time. Believe in yourself! Mental health is so important, and you're making the world better one step at a time by advocating.