What we Do.
At Bolster Up Athlete, we offer guided journaling to enhance your mental fitness. We offer you a plethora of prompts and questions written by athletes who have been in your shoes at some point. They provide guidance as you reflect and journal about topics like competition anxiety, injury, goal building, personal development, and more. Athletes you know and love, even your teammates, are given the space to share their stories on our podcast and through the questions they write for our community. Inspired by their stories, we hope you can feel their support while journaling. If you have been thinking about journaling, or maybe you already do, we hope that Bolster Up Athlete helps answer the question, “Where do I start?”. We know that Bolster UP Athlete is not a cure. BUA is active maintenance, a preventative tool to enhance mental fitness within a supportive community!
your mental health matters.
Our Mission
OUR MISSION AT BOLSTER UP ATHLETE IS TO NORMALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ATHLETE MENTAL HEALTH BY PROVIDING TOOLS, LIKE GUIDED JOURNALING, TO ENHANCE MENTAL FITNESS AND EMPOWER ATHLETES IN THEIR HOLISTIC GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE, WITHIN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY.
Our story
We all know the feeling of finishing a brutal workout after a long day. You’re sweaty, hungry, and wondering why your coach pushed you so hard. Trust me, I’ve been there. My name is Marilyn Nwora, and as a shot-putter, I spent countless hours pushing my body to its limits, especially during those grueling preseason workouts. I knew it was all part of the journey to being the best. And it paid off: two-time Conference Champion, f ive-time All-American, 2023 World Trials and 2024 Paris Olympic Trials qualifier. I was involved on campus and earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Health and Design in Health at the University of Texas at Austin. On paper, I had it all figured out.
But the truth is, there were times when my body was ready, but my mind wasn’t. Competition anxiety and personal challenges crept in at the worst moments, shaking my confidence. I leaned on my Christian faith, family and friends, therapy, and sports psychology, but sometimes I still felt alone in my struggle. Then, in 2023, I learned something that hit me hard: suicide had become the second leading cause of death among NCAA athletes.
I realized so many of us were struggling silently in different ways and trying to carry the weight of it all by ourselves.
My late father always told me, “Prevention is better than cure.” I couldn’t just stand by—I had to do something. That’s why I created Bolster Up Athlete (BUA). BUA started as a simple idea to leverage writing therapy and community: a guided reflection journal and prompts inspired by athletes like us. Topics like confidence, competition anxiety, injury, and life after sports helped turn those overwhelming feelings into something we could process and talk about: to break the ice and to dig deeper! Journaling isn’t just for writing; it’s for healing, connecting, expressing gratitude, and growing. We know that Bolster UP Athlete is not a cure, but it is active maintenance and a preventative tool that helps answer the question, “Where do I start!”
BUA is more than a journal; it’s an experience. It’s where you can be vulnerable, share your story, and grow into your best self—not just as an athlete, but as a whole person. It’s a way to remind every athlete that you’re not alone and never have to be. Together, we Bolster Up!
Meet our founder and ceo
Marilyn C. Nwora
