The parents of Katie Meyer, the star Stanford University goalkeeper who was found unresponsive in her campus residence this week, revealed she died by suicide and said they had no indication she was struggling with her mental health.
Meyer’s mother, Gina, said she feels like she has been living in a nightmare ever since she got the call that her daughter had died.
“I don’t even think it’s hit us yet. We’re still, we’re still in shock,” she said during an interview that aired Friday on NBC’s “TODAY” show.
“But we had no red flags,” she added. “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.”
Gina and Steven Meyer had spoken with Katie, 22, on FaceTime hours before she died, and she was upbeat.
Meyer, 22, was an international relations major and history minor from Newbury Park, California.
In the 2021 season, Meyer, the team captain, played in all 20 of Stanford’s matches as the Cardinal finished fourth in the Pac-12 conference and advanced to postseason play before it bowed out to a local rival, Santa Clara University. She also served on campus as a resident assistant.
Her parents, stunned, are searching for answers.
“There’s so much pressure I think on athletes, right, especially at that high level balancing academics and a high competitive environment. And there is anxiety and there is stress to be perfect, to be the best, to be number one,” Gina Meyer said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
