We are going to kick things off with an amazing woman I met at an Oregon State football game (Go Beavs!) at an information booth for the Dam Worth It campaign she is going to tell you about. I'm so super thankful for Taylor's willingness to share her heart with us and I'm excited to share it with you!
Introduce yourself: who are you? What are you passionate about?
My name is Taylor Ricci, I am originally from Vancouver, BC Canada and was an Oregon State Gymnast from 2013-2017. I came to Oregon State University on an athletic scholarship and graduated in 2018 with my Bachelor of Science majoring in Exercise Sports Science, minoring in Chemistry and Medical Humanities. My most prominent and significant passions to date are the sport of gymnastics and a career in medicine. Attending Oregon State University allowed me to pursue both of those passions. I am now a retired Division I Gymnast and currently studying at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine pursuing a future career as a physician.
You are an advocate for suicide prevention and stopping the stigma around mental health. What brought you to this point?
During my senior year at Oregon State University I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease followed by losing a teammate to suicide. The compound effects of these experiences resulted in me dealing with my own personal mental health struggles, and perhaps the most prominent aspect of this was breaking down my own stigmas that I associated with mental health. I was on a full-ride scholarship, had a nearly 4.0 GPA, was team captain. All of these factors painted a picture that I was okay when I was not. My personal experiences along with the experiences of former Men’s Soccer Player Nathan Braaten lead to the creation of the Dam Worth It Campaign that was designed to advocate for sucicde prevention and end the stigma surrounding mental health.
After losing someone to suicide, what questions come to your mind?
What could I have done more? How did I not know? How am I ever going to get past this?
These questions come into my mind every single day. I think that these are common questions that accompany people who lose ones that they love to suicide. Mental health is a hidden epidemic, a lot of the times we cannot see the symptoms that lead to tragedy and I think that this can be the most difficult aspects of sucide.
Now the question I ask myself is, “How can I make sure that every single person knows that they are Dam Worth It?”
Tell me about the Dam Worth It campaign. How did it come together? What are you doing now? What are the long-term goals?
Dam Worth It came together in a coffee shop after Oregon State lost two student-athletes in under one year. Nathan Braaten and I met one-on-one for the first time and asked each other, “what can we do about this?”
Dam Worth It is a mental health campaign that is BY students FOR students. The goal of Dam Worth It is to open up the conversation and increase awareness around mental health by utilizing the platform of sport in partnership with the university. Our ultimate mission is to end the stigma around mental health. Our vision is to have every student group at Oregon State University represented within the Dam Worth It Campaign. Along with this, we envision that Dam Worth It and Oregon State University will become the gold standard for creating a positive culture of mental health awareness and stigma reduction.
Through our inclusive, representative, and relatable approach to mental health, Dam Worth It normalizes, destigmatize, and spreads awareness about the epidemic of mental health in the college environment. Ultimately, the power behind this campaign comes from the peer-to-peer model that makes every student (regardless of demographic background) know that they are Dam Worth It.
What progress have you seen on college campuses surrounding the topic of suicide? What still needs to be done?
Over the last academic year, Nathan and I have traveled to 12 college campuses, and two national conventions to present about Dam Worth It. As a result, there have been multiple campuses who have started a version of Dam Worth It on their own campus. We hope for many more!
The conversation has started on most campuses and this is important because it is the first step. The conversations need to be matched with adequate resources and that will be the big step most institutions will need to take.
If a friend comes to you and says they are struggling with suicidal ideation, what does that conversation look like?
Disclaimer: I am not a clinical psychologist.
When it comes to friends or people in your life who are struggling I always try to be a listening ear for that person, a shoulder to lean on. I don’t always have something to say but I try and create a comfortable and vulnerable environment where my friends feel that they can open up to me about their struggles, and from there I can help them access the people or the resources that they need.
How can we help with the Dam Worth It campaign?
The Dam Worth It Campaign is relaunching as a university-wide campaign this fall! It will consist of 15 very passionate and talented students and student-athletes along with many ambassadors from across the campus. This group will be organizing Dam Worth It Games for all athletic teams, university club events, and more! I encourage everyone to support the campaign by attending these events and following the campaign on social media! (@DamWorthIt_Campaign)
