Meet the sixth Warrior in our series!
My name is Robert Stuetz and I am from Fruitland, Maryland. I am currently a senior, graduating with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Sport Management. A fun fact about me is that ESU was the only school I visited.
On my visit, I met the coach, Joe Koch, who was very helpful and I left this university knowing I wanted to be a Warrior. In March 2019, I officially signed my letter of intent to continue my academic and athletic track career at East Stroudsburg University. I knew it was going to be a big adjustment for me going from running track in high school to running for an NCAA Division II university.
I became humbled going into my first cross-country season, but I looked forward to becoming a part of a new family. That year ended up being much harder than I expected as I became burnt out and restless every day. As the season finished, after winter break, we transitioned into indoor track and I did not get a chance to race in a meet due to an injury that prevented me from doing the one thing I loved the most. I wouldn't have another indoor season as what was next no one could have been prepared for.
Spring break came around and the COVID-19 pandemic closed down everything, and everyone was sent home. I became so unsure of what this meant for my running career. During that year and a half of not seeing my teammates, I fell into a deep depression due to the lack of motivation and support to continue running. The motivation to get up and put my running shoes on, diminished as the days, weeks, and months went on. Thankfully, my high school track coach helped me get my motivation back as I went to the gym with him. I finally felt like I was finally getting back to my old self, where I enjoyed running.
I fell into an emotional and depressive state, towards the end of the fall 2021 cross-country season, due to certain personal and academic challenges. I became scared to talk to anyone about these challenges, but finally, I talked to my dad, mom, and brother, completely broken. I then called my coach and told him that I would not be returning to run, as I needed to focus on my academic and personal challenges. I had support throughout my challenges, which made it easier for the motivation to fall back.
I stumbled across Maggie and The Hidden Opponent. It is crazy to think how far we have come since starting this nonprofit and all the support we have gained. I want to say a huge thank you to my family, my friends, and most importantly, The Hidden Opponent, for giving me an outlet to still be involved in sports.
"You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle." — Julian Seifter
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Gallery: (4-27-2023) The Hidden Opponent: Robert Stuetz
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