A student-athlete from the University of Wisconsin-Madison died by suicide, her household stated.
Sarah Shulze, a star runner on the ladies’s track and area and cross-country groups at the college, died earlier this month at age 21.
In a assertion posted April 15 to a web site devoted to her life, her household stated she had died simply two days earlier than on April 13.
“Sarah took her own life,” the statement said. “Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment.”
Her household stated they’d been left “shocked and grief stricken” by Shulze’s dying. “Above all other things, Sarah was a power for good in the world,” they stated.
In a separate assertion posted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Badgers Twitter account, the college stated its athletics neighborhood had been left “heartbroken” by Shulze’s passing.
“Sarah was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete,” the college stated. “We extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Sarah’s family, friends and Badger teammates during this extraordinarily difficult time.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, according to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. In 2020, it was among the top nine leading causes of death for people ages 10-64 and was the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Just last month, the parents of the star goalkeeper on Stanford University’s women’s soccer team announced that their daughter, Katie Meyer, had died by suicide.
Meyer, 22, was from Newbury Park, California, and had been studying as an international relations major and history minor.
In an interview with NBC’s “TODAY” show, Meyer’s mother, Gina, said there had been “no red flags” prior to her daughter’s death. “She was excited. She had a lot on her plate. She had a lot going on. But she was, she was happy. She was in great spirits,” she said.
Shulze, who was from Oak Park, California, also appeared to have a promising future, earning All-Big Ten honors in 2020 and 2021 for cross-country and in 2021 for track, according to her profile on the university’s athletics page.
She had initially made her mark as an athlete in high school, eventually competing in national and state level events, her family said.
They said she had received a scholarship to race for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which was “an ongoing source of pride for Sarah as she entered her third season with the team.”
In addition to being a track star, Shulze’s family said, she was also a member of the student-athlete council at her university and had interned at the Wisconsin state Legislature. She had also volunteered as a poll worker for the 2020 presidential election. “These experiences helped develop her deep love for politics, social causes and women’s rights,” they stated.
“Sarah regarded herself as a champion for all women, as did the many family members, friends, students and athletes who surrounded her,” they stated.
In the wake of her dying, Shulze’s household has arrange the Sarah Shulze Foundation, which they stated would assist different student-athletes and assist a quantity of causes she was enthusiastic about, together with girls’s rights and psychological well being.
Shulze’s household stated a service could be held in Westlake Village, California, on May 2.
If you or somebody you already know is at threat of suicide, please name the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, textual content TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/assets for extra assets.