Mustangs During a Pandemic

My name is Heather McCann and I am a pentathlete on the Western Track and Field team. My last five years at Western have been largely defined by my time as an athlete through the community, life-long friendships, and lasting memories. All in all, I pride myself on how much I have grown in my sport, especially when this past season producing an all-time best at Nationals. I had planned to return for a 5th year with my eyes set on a National medal, however, these plans were indefinitely put on hold when the pandemic struck and all seasons got cancelled. Though all walks of life have been affected during these unprecedented times, athletes who have dedicated their whole lives to their sport have profoundly felt the effects.

In the first semester, one of my fantastic professors, Benard Graham pitched our class the idea of doing a series of segments for Radio Western named the ​Covid Cohort​. The premise of the episodes was to demonstrate the changes to western student life amid the pandemic - Naturally, I chose my segment to be rooted in student-athletes. I interviewed four student-athletes about their experience losing their sport, training in modified conditions, and the effects this had on their wellbeing. Take a listen to my segment in the link below!

Link here: https://soundcloud.com/radiowestern/sets/the-covid-cohort

Start time: Episode 2, 19:38