Family addresses college athlete Sarah Shulze taking her own life at 21

Madison, Wisconsin — Sarah Shulze, a runner connected the University of Wisconsin's way and transverse state teams, has died. She was 21.

Shulze's household announced connected April 15 that she had died 2 days earlier, and gave the origin of death.

"Sarah took her ain life," the household said. "Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of mundane beingness overwhelmed her successful a single, hopeless moment. Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken portion holding connected tightly to each that Sarah was.

"Above each different things, Sarah was a powerfulness for bully successful the world. Her heavy compassion was evident successful her devotion to her sisters Abbey and Ella, the emotion her parents felt from her each azygous day, and the other attraction she took successful moments shared with her grandparents and cousins."

Wisconsin officials enactment retired a connection Friday that referenced the family's announcement.

"Sarah was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete," Wisconsin officials said successful a statement. "We widen our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Sarah's family, friends and Badger teammates during this extraordinarily hard time. Our superior absorption is the enactment of the Shulze household and our student-athletes."

Shulze was a inferior from Oak Park, California. She competed successful transverse country, indoor way and outdoor track, and earned world all-Big Ten honors successful 2020 and 2021 for transverse state and successful 2021 for track.

Family members said she had been an intern astatine the Wisconsin legislature and volunteered arsenic a canvass idiosyncratic during the 2020 statesmanlike election. They said those experiences "helped make her heavy emotion for politics, societal causes and women's rights."

Shulze's relatives said they would soon denote a instauration "that volition beryllium established to proceed to enactment the causes astir important to Sarah."

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is successful affectional distress oregon suicidal crisis, telephone the National Suicide Prevention Hotline astatine 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For much accusation astir intelligence wellness attraction resources and support, The National Alliance connected Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine tin beryllium reached Monday done Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, astatine 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) oregon email info@nami.org.