As athletes, we’ve all definitely had our fair share of injuries. It sucks, but we rehab, get better, and hopefully get to start playing our sport again soon. Going to Notre Dame as a soccer player, Bailey Cartwright was ready to play and make everyone at home proud. Unfortunately, injury held her back. She was embarrassed not only by the scars on her legs, but because she was hurt. She felt like she was letting people, including herself, down. She questioned why coaches and schools weren’t emphasizing the mental aspect of injury as much as they were the physical aspect of it. Her personal struggle with mental health during this time, and her desire to raise more awareness for it within athletics, inspired her to create StrongerScars.
StrongerScars is a platform for injured athletes struggling with their mental health, to have a safe space to share their stories and embrace their scars. Bailey’s goal is to let people know that it’s okay to feel whatever emotion they feel, and to give them a place to connect with others that feel the same way when it comes to overcoming injury. And so far, I’d say she’s easily reached her goal. StrongerScars has been unbelievably successful. Athletes just want someone to listen to them, and Bailey has created the perfect platform for them to get that opportunity without the fear of judgement. She hasn’t just created an Instagram account or podcast, she’s created an open door policy that she personally follows in order to always be there and support athletes. She’s created a family.
With the success of StrongerScars, some of Bailey’s favorite memories include a live podcast she did at the ACC Live Summit. There, she was able to interview eight student athletes in front of a live audience, and she realized she had a passion for public speaking. Her other favorite memory was being able to interview US Men’s National Team Soccer star, Tim Howard. To have an athlete like Tim Howard come on her podcast, especially as someone she had always looked up to, made her feel like StrongerScars was truly reaching people and helping athletes nationwide.
As to what’s next for Bailey, she plans to apply for grad school in order to pursue a higher degree in sport psychology, and to also continue with the podcast. With StrongerScars, her long term goal is to turn it into a nonprofit. In her own experiences, all treatments, rehab, and appointments for her injuries were paid for by Notre Dame, however, she realizes not everyone is as lucky. People don’t pay to get into car accidents, and she wants StrongerScars to be able to help those that can’t afford their bills.
So be sure to look out for new podcasts from StrongerScars, and big things in the future for Bailey Cartwright! We can’t wait to see what the future holds!
You can follow along on Instagram at @strongerscars, contact StrongerScars through their website: https://www.strongerscars.com, or email them at thestrongerscars@gmail.com!