Former WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw, NHL goalie Clint Malarchuk talk mental health at UWS

Wednesday night was an important one at the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS).

Kicking off their fall lecture series the Yellowjackets welcomed former NHL goalie Clint Malarchuk, and former WNBA star, three time NCAA national champion, Chamique Holdsclaw to campus to talk about mental health in athletics.

“There’s no cure. I’m going to have good days, but how bad is recovery? It’s the constant process for me, but the same way that I’m trained to be an amazing basketball player is the same way I have the train when it comes to my mental health,” Holdsclaw shared.

Holdsclaw, also an Olympic gold medalist from the 2000 Sydney games, shared with UWS student-athletes and the campus community her personal struggles with depression and how she has found help.

Malarchuk offered up the story of his difficult past, including a near-death experience on ice when a skate cut his neck, as well as subsequent struggles with depression, anxiety, and alcoholism.

It was all in an effort to help destigmatize mental illness in the sports world and beyond.