My Words | Wisconsin Badgers

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Read through our collection of stories written by our Wisconsin student-athletes, coaches and alumni. Sharing their world. In their own words.

Casey O'Brien Headline Image

A Dream Come True
By Casey O'Brien
June 23, 2025

I was a freshman in high school when I committed to play for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team, but I knew in my heart that UW was the place for me years earlier.

Frank Kaminsky - My Words 2025

What it means to be a Badger
By Frank Kaminsky
June 4, 2025

What does it mean to be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame? That’s a question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and the best way I can answer that is by going back to the beginning.

Stiemsma - My Words

There is light; I am proof
By Greg Stiemsma
March 4, 2025

I still get choked up whenever I think back to that time in my life. I wasn’t in a good place mentally or emotionally.

I was a 20-year-old sophomore center for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in 2005 and I had problems. Things were building – important things that I’d ignored for weeks and months – and, all of a sudden, I was confronted by consequences that I wasn’t prepared to handle.

Lindmark - My Words

This place is special.
By Owen Lindmark
February 17, 2025

If you had told me when I was 18 that I would still be playing college hockey at Wisconsin at 23, I would have said you were a little crazy. While I never planned on being a student-athlete for six years, I’m grateful for every second of it. Not everyone has the opportunity to keep coming back to a place they love while playing the game they love. But I was lucky, even if it meant overcoming some injuries along the way.

Phoebe Bacon - My Words

Thank you for teaching us how to be problem-solvers
By Phoebe Bacon
January 16, 2025

I’ve always enjoyed the whole problem-solving aspect of things. I love that about myself. I got it from my dad and I’m proud of it. When I first came to swim for Wisconsin in 2020, I was undecided on a major, but eventually opted for mechanical engineering in large part because my dad, Tim, was one. He and I always hung out together, whether that meant building go-karts, remodeling our basement or refurbishing a 1992 Jeep Wrangler. I learned how to weld, to replace a radiator and swing a hammer.

Julia Orzol - My Words

I'll Never Forget This Place

By Julia Orzol
December 11, 2024

I’ll never forget how my teammates on the Wisconsin volleyball team treated me at the beginning of our time together. They made me feel so comfortable. They were so eager to listen to me and to help me understand things. I remember asking, “So, Wisconsin; where’s the city?” I had no awareness, no idea of how it all worked here, yet they were all so patient and supportive. Nothing felt rushed even though my decision regarding school had to be made kind of quickly.

Kris Dressler My Words graphic

A pretty wonderful life

By Leslie and Kris Dressler
September 19, 2024

To know my late husband, Kris Dressler, was to know that he would have had this epic weekend circled on the calendar a long, long time ago.

The 150th anniversary of men’s rowing at Wisconsin will be celebrated as only crew members can on Friday and Saturday. Dress not only rowed for the Badgers, he was an assistant under Chris Clark and was immensely proud of all that he learned, taught and accomplished during his time as an athlete and coach at UW.

Adam Spencer MyWords Headline

Home away from home

By Adam Spencer, Wisconsin men's track and field
August 1, 2024

What is it about this place that made me want to travel nearly 10,000 miles one way to try and make a name for myself?

Why would I choose to leave my home in Melbourne, Australia, for a place I’d never heard of until I began to get serious about my distance running career?

In short, the Wisconsin track program is made up of great teachers, tremendous talents and amazing people.

Kelsey Card MyWords Headline Image

Strength doesn't always mean muscles

By Kelsey Card, Women's track and field Alumnus
May 23, 2024

I was a freshman on the Wisconsin women’s track team in 2011 when I first thought of quitting. It got to the point where I once drove home to Illinois and almost didn’t come back. I was not in a good place and I was incredibly unhappy.

I was struggling with homesickness. I had a teammate who wasn’t a very big fan of mine, so I was trying to navigate that, as well as adjusting to Wisconsin’s rigorous academic demands. Also, my now-husband and boyfriend at the time was going to school in California, so I was having difficulty being so far apart from him. On top of all that, I had been a three-sport athlete in high school and the change to training and competing for a solo sport was proving to be quite the challenge for me.

My Words: Ariel Johnson

By Helping Others, I've Helped Myself

By Ariel Johnson, Wisconsin Women's Tennis
April 17, 2024

The thing about tennis is that when you’re out there, you are alone.

In doubles, there is someone to share your experience with, but in a singles match, it’s just you, your opponent, and all the people watching, their expectations even louder than their cheering.

I’ve felt that pressure even before Tennis was part of my life. The burden of swimming was given to me by my mother at a young age, as it was her favorite sport back in Jamaica. But I quickly found out it wasn’t for me. I found Tennis when I was seven, I asked my mom to stop and look at a court one time when we were driving.

Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin football, smiles in celebration. The

Struggle, Opportunity and New Hope in a New Season

By Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin Football
April 5, 2024

When I transferred to Wisconsin in 2021, my agenda was pretty straight forward. I wanted to play a lot of football. I wanted to be seen as a great player. Then I wanted to leave for the NFL after my junior season.

I had my mind set on being one-and-done and, for the better part of that year, I believed I was in position to do that. I had just over 800 yards rushing through the first nine games and was on pace for 1,200 and eight touchdowns.

Rashard Griffith talks with Jerell Moore, son of Howard Moore at Wisconsin men's basketball practice

The best in me, is now for someone else

By Rashard Griffith, Wisconsin Men's Basketball Alumnus
February 22, 2024

It was a Saturday morning around 6 a.m. and I was taking my dog for our usual walk when my phone rang. I saw the 313 Detroit area code, but didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t answer.

I almost always leave my cell back at the house when we walk because I like to use the time for reflection. I thought about that when the calls kept coming.

A Badger Through and Through

By Diane Nordstrom, Wisconsin Track & Field Alumnus and Associate Director of Communications (Retired)
January 04, 2024

My relationship with Wisconsin Athletics began in the fall of 1980 when I started my freshman year at the UW. Being a Badger was somewhat of a family tradition as one brother and two sisters had attended Wisconsin.

I was the only one who would become a student-athlete, walking on to the women’s track and field team. In high school, I won a state championship in the shot put as a junior and finished second as a senior.

20 years later, proud to be keeping my promise

By Devin Harris, Wisconsin Men's Basketball Alumnus
December 13, 2023

I’m about to experience one of the proudest moments of my life. Not only am I going to receive my degree from the University of Wisconsin, I’m going to fulfill a promise I made to my family and friends more than two decades ago.

I was a junior at UW in 2004, one of the starting guards for the men’s basketball team. My game had evolved to the point that NBA teams were telling my parents, Terry and Julie, that I could be drafted in the top 10. That’s heavy stuff for a 21-year-old kid from Milwaukee.

My dyslexia allowed me to find my super power

By Joslyn Boyer, Wisconsin Volleyball
December 04, 2023

I don’t like it when people say I have a disability even though it’s the truth.

I don’t like it when people assume my life will be a never-ending struggle even though that’s been my reality.

I not only refuse to allow dyslexia to dictate who I am, I’m determined to use it as motivation for all I want to accomplish.

I believe that being dyslexic has already made me a better daughter, sister, friend, student and teammate. It’s also made me a better libero for the Wisconsin volleyball team.

Sharon (Cole) Faust, an alumnus of the Wisconsin women's hockey team, smiles in a family photo with her husband Jesse and their two children.

Persevering Together

By Sharon (Cole) Faust, Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Alum
October 28, 2023

When people find out you’re a former Badger athlete, they often ask you to describe the best thing about your experience. For me, winning the first NCAA title in Wisconsin women’s hockey history while serving as team captain is right up there near the top.

Now, 17 years later, I understand that the best part of my four-year experience was how it shaped my character and provided me with the skills of perseverance, grit and resiliency.

Dara Andringa, Wisconsin Women's Soccer, headline image of Dara smiling with arms crossed looking at camera and

Legacy is an honor, a privilege

By Dara Andringa, Wisconsin Women's Soccer
September 27, 2023

I was born with Badger blood in my veins. It runs through me physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ll always be. It’s something that makes me very proud.

Being a student-athlete at Wisconsin is a tradition in my family. My uncle, Kelly Meuer, played men’s soccer. My father, Rob, played baseball and men’s hockey. My uncle, Jeff, and cousin, Keegan Meuer, played men’s hockey. My cousins, Molly, Katy and McKenna Meuer all played women’s soccer.

Alec Ingold, Wisconsin football alumus and current NFL professional for the Miami Dolphins, smiles at a fan while signing his book,

My personal journey, an open book

By Alec Ingold, Wisconsin football alum, NFL pro and author
September 06, 2023

I grew up with a love for reading. I crushed the “Harry Potter” collection. I’d go cover-to-cover in a single sitting with books from the “Magic Treehouse" series. Maybe it was because my mom was an elementary school teacher with an English degree and her passion for the written word rubbed off on me, or maybe it was just fate. Whatever the case, I always make sure to have a book or two with me wherever I go.

Joe Thomas, Wisconsin football and NFL alumnus, holds his hands in the

Grateful for the journey, excited for the adventure ahead

By Joe Thomas, Pro Football Hall of Famer
August 01, 2023

The memory chokes me up every time.

The January day I found out I was being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was looking like your typical Wisconsin experience. It was bitter cold, around 30 below wind chill, and my wife Annie and I were hanging out in our kitchen getting ready to go out for a fish fry with friends.

Gulce Guctekin, Wisconsin volleyball, on team's European Tour by a lake with

A New View of Home

By Gulce Guctekin, Wisconsin Volleyball
July 21, 2023

What’s funny about our visit to Europe last month is that everyone on the Wisconsin volleyball team was looking to me to be the tour guide. I wound up being as much of a tourist as they were.

Before we left for our two-week, four-country summer tour that took place June 2-14, I was asked to make a presentation to my teammates and coaches about life in Istanbul, Turkey. That was the first leg of our journey. It’s also where I was born, raised and fell in love with volleyball.

Mullens my words header

The face in the mirror finally looks happy

By Isaiah Mullens, Wisconsin Football
May 09, 2023

When I stand in front of a mirror these days, I like the person staring back at me. That wasn’t always the case.

For the longest time I didn’t know who I was. I felt guilty and angry. I felt alone and unloved. I felt that I was totally to blame for all the painful things that had happened to me in my life.

Ready to go make history

By Austin Gomez, Wisconsin Wrestling
March 13, 2023

The most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life took place on Christmas Eve in 2020. I asked my parents, Hector and Frances, if I could have a talk with them.

“I have something I need to tell you guys,” I said.

I’m pretty sure they knew what was coming. Mom immediately started crying. Dad had a concerned look on his face as he waited to hear what I had to say. When I finally began to speak, I had a hard time looking them in the eye.

I told them I was retiring from wrestling.

L.O. Johnson photo with

All in. Always.

By L.O. Johnson, Wisconsin Men's Track & Field
February 22, 2023

I’ve always been the type of person that when I find something that really interests me, I completely zone in on it. I’m all in.

Like the time I bought a one-gallon tank and started raising African cichlids, which is this variety of beautiful freshwater fish. Before long, I had more than a dozen tanks in our basement with all sorts of heaters and sensors. My breeding collection expanded to include Flower Horns and Oscars. My parents could have told me, “OK, six tanks are enough for the basement. You don’t need 20,” but they let me go all in instead.

Work, Love, Give

By Danielle Pulliam, Ed.D.
Assistant A.D. of Diversity and Inclusion
February 03, 2023

My early introduction to community and people who were different than me was in my own home growing up in Indianapolis. I’m one of eight in a blended family. All are my half siblings and some of us have birthdays 20 years apart.

My dad Charles, one of 12 kids, was big on hard work and integrity from his time in the Army and insisted we all put our best foot forward. My mom, Kimberly, one of four kids, made sure we grew up in the church. …

Danielle Hart My Words

Chasing an extraordinary life

By Danielle Hart, Volleyball
December 6, 2022

Wisconsin Volleyball taught me the secret to an extraordinary life.

When I came to Wisconsin, I played because I loved the sport. I continue to play because I am addicted to the journey — I have found it’s all in seeking greater meaning, the fearless pursuit of what motivates and inspires you, ignites your fire, and keeps you coming back for more.

Jesse Compher My Words

Better Every Day

By Jesse Compher, Women's Hockey
November 17, 2022

I’ll never forget having the Olympic silver medal put around my neck. I was sad, frustrated and angry all at once.

How else was I supposed to feel after my favorite dream had been shattered?

How else was I supposed to respond after years of grinding, pushing my body mentally and physically — sometimes to a breaking point — left me feeling so empty?

Passion, Grit and Dedication

By Estefania Zavala, DAT, Wisconsin Sports Medicine
September 25, 2022

She planted the seed that grew into the job I have and love, but if our paths were to cross today I’m not certain she’d remember me.

Ten years ago I was student at Joliet Central High School, just outside Chicago, where I played soccer and volleyball and ran cross country. When I was injured during a soccer match, I became acquainted with the school’s athletic trainer, Liz Short.

At the time, she was the only certified AT for a school that currently has around 3,500 students and 26 sports, which means she had a lot of responsibilities and, you would think, little time for small talk. That was not the case.

My Words Paula Wilkins

Proud to be a Title IX baby

By Paula Wilkins, Women's Soccer Coach

June 23, 2022

I could be the poster child for Title IX.

I was born 50 years ago, exactly 21 days after Title IX went into effect in the summer of 1972, so I’ve lived my entire life on the better side of gender equality.

It would take a while for me to fully appreciate the scope of Title IX, the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the U.S. government. But it wouldn’t take me long to capitalize on its massive power, reach and value.

MyWords Madison Packer

Life is a beautiful place

By Madison Packer, Women's Hockey ('14)

June 15, 2022

I made the worst decision of my life on a cold, snowy December night in 2014.

I was days away from graduating from UW and my family was traveling to join me for commencement. A significant chapter was about to come to a close and it seemed like a time for celebration.

Then why did I feel so desperate and alone? Why was I in so much pain? Why was I so miserable?

Why was I standing on a chair on the balcony of my campus apartment, looking out over the railing to the ground 15 stories below, thinking long and hard about doing the unthinkable?

myWords headline Kayla Konwent

I am enough

By Kayla Konwent, Softball

May 20, 2022

I believe in miracles because I’m certain I’ve experienced one.

I was told more than once that my time with the Wisconsin softball program was done before it ever really got started. I had come to Madison with high expectations for myself. I wanted to be the best player Wisconsin had ever seen and become an All-American. I was thinking big.

Then I got hurt. Turns out, God had a plan for me. It included a miracle that served to reinforce my faith in that plan.

myWords Brad Davison 2

I've seen it all, and wouldn't change a thing

By Brad Davison, Men's Basketball

March 16, 2022

I was just a little guy, maybe 4 or so, when I first began thinking about being a basketball coach. I loved going to youth league games to watch my parents as they coached my two older sisters and their teams. I would sit on the bench with my own clipboard and marker, a whistle around my neck. I’m pretty sure we have pictures, LOL.

Nearly 20 years have passed and basketball remains a huge part of my life story. It’s taken me on this great journey. One thing that hasn’t changed is that, now more than ever...

Katie Nelson My Words graphic

What's life without risk?

By Katie Nelson, Women's Basketball

March 1, 2022

I’ll never forget the first time I really got pushed out of my comfort zone as an athlete. It happened four years ago when I was a sophomore point guard for the Boston University women’s basketball team.

I was coming off what I thought was a pretty good freshman season. Then came a coaching change. Marisa Moseley, a former BU player, took over the program in 2018 and it wasn’t long before I began to feel the size of my comfort zone shrink.

Paul Hubbard MyWords

BHM is also about making the next generation better

By Paul Hubbard, Football ('08)

Feb. 16, 2022

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a police officer. I had a sense early on that it came with risks and challenges, but public service runs deep in my family even though it has come with great sacrifice.

My grandfather joined the Army even though he was told by his superiors that he couldn’t be anything more than a cook because he was Black.

My mother followed her father’s path into the Army and was stationed at a base in Korea when she met my dad, who had enlisted because he also wanted to do something for the greater good.

My parents, Paul and Jacqueline, raised me not to see color as something to separate us.

Dawn Crim MyWords

The path to fulfillment, impact

By Dawn Crim, Former Women's Basketball Coach

Feb. 3, 2022

I never thought being a college basketball coach was my true calling, but I’m grateful for all the times that I listened to that voice.

The time I spent as an assistant at Penn State, Kentucky and Wisconsin in the 1990s brought an incredible amount of value to my life. I became a better communicator and problem solver. I emerged with a greater appreciation for tenacity, consistency and timing.

I heard that voice in 1996 and it changed my life in dramatic ways.

Sydney Hilley, volleyball, My Words

Thanks to volleyball… I'm ready to change the world

By Sydney Hilley, Volleyball

Dec. 16, 2021

Volleyball has been my passion since I was 9 years old and my mom promised me a new pair of shoes if I made one of the club teams near our home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

I had no clue then where it would lead me. Little did I know how much volleyball would shape me. It brought me to Wisconsin to play for the Badgers. It connected me with people that I will love forever. It taught me countless lessons about character and human relations. It opened doors to my heart and soul.

Perhaps most important, it led me down a path toward the biggest challenge of my life.

I want to change the world.

Olin Hacker's My Words photo

Seven years a Badger

By Olin Hacker, Men's Track and Cross Country

Oct. 28, 2021

I didn’t plan on spending seven years as a Wisconsin student-athlete, but that’s how it’s turned out.

I was 18 in 2015 when I enrolled at UW. I got my undergraduate degree in biology in 2019 and will be almost 25 when I get my master’s in kinesiology in May.

I don’t think I’m the first person to follow such a long road to getting an education at a school like Wisconsin, but there’s a part of me that’s curious to know if anyone else has done it while competing in a Division I sport at the same time.

Dare to be

By Shawna Nicols, Women's Basketball ('05)

Oct. 11, 2021

Growing up, I never thought I would become a professional entertainer, attend Wisconsin on a basketball scholarship, play pro ball in Europe, write a children’s book, have my own line of clothing, host my own podcast, be an activist for social justice and the LGBTQ+ community.

I most certainly never thought I would be given a forum like this to share my experiences as part of National Coming Out Day.

I’m truly honored.

My New Home

By Julia Orzol, Volleyball

Sept. 6, 2021

I was really tired when my late-afternoon flight from Chicago finally landed in Madison last month. I had spent the better part of 16 hours making my way from my family’s apartment in Olsztyn, Poland, to my new home here as a member of the Wisconsin volleyball team. That included a three-hour delay at O’Hare, which meant my body clock was around 11 p.m. when I started to make my way to the baggage claim to get my two pieces of luggage.

I had no idea that I was about to have one of the best moments of my life. I had no sense that all my weariness was about to be replaced by joy.

Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin director of athletics, standing on the football field inside Camp Randall Stadium. The text

My greatest day, my biggest regret and what comes next

By Barry Alvarez

June 28, 2021

Not long after I announced my retirement from Wisconsin Athletics, someone asked me a question that made me stop and think.

If I could relive any one of the days I’ve spent as football coach or director of athletics at UW, which one would it be?

That’s a hard one to answer. I’ve had so many tremendous experiences since I first brought my family to Madison more than three decades ago. Sixteen seasons as the football coach and the last 15 years as the full-time AD have put me in touch with a lot of really good people.

Marc Vandewettering, Wisconsin men's basketball director of operations, at the UW Memorial Terrace with rainbow terrace chairs.

Living My Truth

By Marc VandeWettering, Wisconsin men's basketball

June 24, 2021

I have a tattoo on my left bicep that serves as a testament to the most important moment in my life. It’s a constant reminder of the love that I felt after I told those closest to me that I’m gay.

It’s an equality symbol with the sound waves of all my family members saying “I love you” filling the top bar. The bottom bar? The most powerful day of my life. Dec. 26, 2015. The date I came out to them, written in Roman numerals. My favorite part of it all is that I can scan it with my phone and it will play the sound of their voices back to me. I do it every year on that date and it always brings me indescribable joy.

Peyton Frankenreider My Words

Learning to Lead

By Peyton Frankenreider, Men's Track & Field

February 24, 2021

One of the first things I learned coming to college is that if you want to be seen as a leader you need to adopt a different mindset.

I was always trying to set a good example in high school back in Yorkville, Illinois. I ran track, was on the swim team and played club soccer, serving as a captain in all three. I was an honor student all four years.

I still see myself as a leader now as a member of the Wisconsin men’s track and field team, but the process has changed as I’ve grown and made my way through college.

Sarah Nurse, My Words, women's hockey

Finding My Voice

Sarah Nurse, Women's Hockey ('17)

February 18, 2021

There was a time when I never thought I’d say this, but I got more out of my time at Wisconsin doing other things than I did out of my career with the women’s hockey team.

From 2013 to ’17, we won five Western Collegiate Hockey Association championships — three playoff and two regular-season titles — and played in four straight NCAA Frozen Fours. I had the good fortune to win some awards and finish among the top 15 scorers in program history.

Connecting To Our History

By Joe Suiter, Asst. Director of Career & Leadership

February 11, 2021

Where does your mind go when someone asks you about the significance of Black History Month?

Does your mind go to a larger-than-life figure, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks? Or to a single achievement, like a man of color being elected president of the United States not once, but twice? Maybe to the fundamental struggle for racial equality, which continues as fiercely now as it did decades ago?

MISC21 - My Words Imani Lewis Header Graphic

How Can I Be That Change?

Imani Lewis, Women's Basketball

February 3, 2021

I’ll never forget the moment, the words or the tears.

A doctor had just looked at the X-rays, shook his head and told me that my days of playing competitive sports were over.

I was 9.

I was devastated. I broke down crying. But I did not give up hope.

Sven Kleinhans - My Words - men's soccer

91 Minutes. No Regrets.

Sven Kleinhans, Men's Soccer

December 09, 2020

I was 16 when I first began to understand what courage is all about. I watched my mother gather her three young children and walk out of a violent, abusive marriage into the unknown. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

We left the house in the middle of a humid, April night with the clothes on our backs and whatever we could fit in our backpacks. I remember my dad was being aggressive and screaming at us. My mom tried to take the car, but he cut the brakes before she could get it out of the garage.

“Good luck driving,” he said, laughing in our faces.

Seth Gross MyWords wrestling headline graphic

Adapt. Learn. Achieve.

Seth Gross, Wrestling

April 24, 2020

It was a moment I’ll never forget because my fondest dream had just come true.

I was standing on the top step of the awards podium at the NCAA wrestling championships in 2018. I had just won the national title at 133 pounds, accomplishing a goal I’d set for myself as a little kid growing up in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It’s hard to explain the feeling I had in that instance, but, trust me, it was cool.

myWords: Samad Qawi

Have Faith

Samad Qawi, Men's Basketball

February 25, 2020

“If there is a tiny speck of light on the horizon, just keep walking towards it.”

Those are the words of my beautiful, loving mother. Words that guided me through personal crisis, injuries and severe depression.

Words that motivated me to chase my dreams. Words that inspired me to reach my dreams.

Molly Haggerty myWords Headline

Appreciate The Journey

Molly Haggerty, Volleyball

December 4, 2019

I grew up seeing myself as a strong person. I especially took pride in being mentally tough. I believed that I could get through anything if I was in the right state of mind. That’s just how I was raised.

I’m the youngest of four and all my siblings were Division I scholarship athletes in college, so I learned early on that if I wanted to keep up I needed thick skin and a hunger to be better than my opponent, even if that opponent was someone I looked up to and loved.

myWords: Davis Brothers

This Is Home

Jonathan Davis and Jordan Davis, Men's Basketball

November 13, 2019

We’re not just brothers. We’re twins and we’re best friends.

We’re not just walking down the same path in this life. We’re living the same dream, doing what we both love.

We’re not just going to be playing on the same college team. We’re going to be teammates again, continuing a connection we’ve had in sports since we could walk.

Jonathan Taylor with his helmet raise above his face. Text of

Raise The Bar

Jonathan Taylor, Football

September 4, 2019

I’m sitting alone in a place that inspires me.

It’s our running backs' meeting room, on the second level of Camp Randall Stadium. It’s one floor above the weight room, where we push ourselves to be the best, and two stories above the football field, where we try to prove we are the best.

I spend a lot of time in this windowless room, sitting with the fullbacks and tailbacks …

My Words: My American Dream By Gavin Kennedy

My American Dream

Gavin Kennedy, Cross Country and Track & Field

May 31, 2019

The first time I set foot on American soil I was 19. It was a Saturday, the first of September in 2001, when my transatlantic flight landed at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I had traveled alone from Dublin, Ireland, eager and anxious to begin the next chapter of my life.

I had been recruited to run for the men’s track and cross country teams at DePaul, but I hadn’t seen the city, much less the campus, because I never took an official visit. I chose the school, sight unseen …

My Words: Dear Mark ... By Mark Johnson with black and white photo of young Mark Johnson

Dear Mark …

Mark Johnson, Women's Hockey

February 9, 2019

For the most part, I think I was a pretty normal kid when I was 18.

I was a senior at Madison Memorial High School. I drove a blue Buick Skylark that I had bought for $300. It had an eight-track stereo installed in the dashboard and my preferred tunes of choice were Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and the Eagles.

I had my own bedroom at my parents' home …

Focus On The Now

Annie Pankowski, Women's Hockey

December 1, 2018

I was heartbroken, confused and angry when the text message arrived out of the blue and gave me some perspective.

I had just been cut from the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team — again — and was trying to hold myself together long enough to figure out what to do next.

For the second time in my life, a cherished dream had been shattered at the last minute.

Jake Woods, Wisconsin football alumni, headline image My Words

Service That Matters

Jake Wood, Football

November 14, 2018

I just flew cross country, from my home in Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, to give a speech. It’s my first time out and about since becoming a father in October. In fact, it was the voice of my sweet daughter, Valija, that served as my way-too-early-morning wake-up call, much to my sleep deprived chagrin.

I’d been on paternity leave since my wife, Indra, and I brought our first-born home from the hospital …

My Words Aya Johnson women's golf 2018 The Way Back

The Way Back

Aya Johnson, Women's Golf

September 14, 2018

It was a summer I’ll never forget for all the wrong reasons.

It was a blur of sleepless nights and long, pain-filled days trying to get comfortable on the living room sofa at my family’s home in North Muskegon, Michigan.

I was always tired and almost never hungry …

My Words T.J. Edwards football 2018 - Nobody Cares. Work Harder.

Nobody Cares. Work Harder.

T.J. Edwards, Football

August 30, 2018

This might come as a surprise to some of you, but I used to be a quarterback and once dreamed of playing one at the college level.

I started 20 games for Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa, Illinois, and we won 17 of them. I threw for a combined 2,500 passing yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior and senior …

My Words Dana Rettke Above It All

Above It All

Dana Rettke, Volleyball

August 22, 2018

As soon as the Delta flight attendant noticed my predicament, she came over bearing sympathy and a promise.

I’d just scrunched my 6-foot-8 frame into the narrow middle seat and was trying to get mentally prepared for the upcoming 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, China.

Beautiful Game headline image Rafael Gaglianone holding Brazilian flag inside Camp Randall Stadium

Beautiful Game

Rafael Gaglianone, Football

July 1, 2018

I don’t know where my life would be without soccer, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be writing for you like this.

I wouldn’t be entering my fifth season of kicking for the Wisconsin football team.

I wouldn’t be preparing to play for a Big Ten title and a shot at a national championship.

Brad Davison training men's basketball

Never Again

Brad Davison, Men's Basketball

June 13, 2018

When I saw my reflection in the mirror that night in Kansas City, I had no idea how challenging my life was about to become.

I was four games into my freshman season at Wisconsin and we’d just lost to Baylor in the Hall of Fame Classic.