Former K-State track star fights to end the stigma surrounding mental health
Julius Mercer ’84 knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom.
After setting records as a track star at K-State in the 1980s, his life fell apart.
He struggled with PTSD, addiction, family crises and homelessness.
It wasn’t until 13 years ago, when he met with a behavioral mental health professional,
that he finally had a breakthrough. He remembers crying as he realized that there
really was hope.
“I knew in my heart I wasn’t who [the world] said I was,” he said. “It helped me to
get rid of the stigma.”
Today, Mercer is an author and mental health advocate, and he’s planning to return
to campus in late September to meet with students, alumni and members of the community,
and also attend the Black Alumni Reunion.
Although Mercer graduated high school with a 1.65 GPA, he was determined to fight
for a second chance. After attending Butler Community College, he came to K-State
on a full track scholarship.
Mercer said he struggled to balance student life, athletics and academics, however,
and he eventually received a letter of dismissal.
However, professor Henry Camp wouldn’t give up on him, and helped him develop a plan
to get back on track.
“He thought that I had a lot of potential,” Mercer recalls. “I needed a lot of help
from educators, tutors and mentors. He gave me a new hope I could get back in school.”
Mercer remembers going to the library and finding a book about Frederick Douglass,
a man born into slavery who was determined to learn to read and write and later became
a celebrated abolitionist.
“It inspired me I could do it too,” Mercer said. “When the summer had ended, I took
four classes: four As and one B.”
According to a K-State Sports Extra profile, Mercer went on to win a Big Eight championship in the 400m hurdles, finished third
in the country at the NCAA Championship, and reached the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials
in Los Angeles.
One of Mercer’s first jobs was working as a graduate assistant track coach at K-State
under Steve Miller, who went on to serve as K-State’s athletic director and hired
the legendary Bill Snyder. Mercer looked up to Miller as a mentor.
When Mercer moved to Los Angeles, he had a PTSD experience, and his untreated mental
illness caused him to spiral. He said he felt such depression, shame and guilt, and
he believed he had to fight alone to fix himself.
That’s when the before-mentioned behavioral mental health professional changed his
life and helped the healing process begin.
As part of Mercer’s therapy experience, he wrote a book called A New Fire and reconnected with classmate and friend Tony Smith ’84, now a management consultant.
“I was just struck by how transparent he was and how deep he went with his story,”
Smith says of the book. “It was great to know that somebody who was a friend had gone
through everything and come out on the other side.”
Mercer now boldly shares his story, in hopes of reaching others and ending the stigma
against seeking help for mental illness.
He recalls visiting K-State for a track reunion several years ago, and stepping out
onto the football field as former players were recognized.
“It felt good to be alive and get back to see this again,” he said. “It gave me comfort
and peace to go forward. It means so much to my heart to survive all of that.”
During their upcoming visit to Manhattan, Mercer said he and Smith are looking forward
to reconnecting and fellowshiping with K-Staters they haven't seen for 25-30 years
at the Black Alumni Reunion. He also plans to host a book signing on Friday, Sept. 29, at the K-State Campus Store from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– Special thanks to K-State Athletics Communications for the use of historical photos
and data. Source: https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2021/5/14/sports-extra-se-former-k-state-track-star-returns-as-author-mental-health-advocate.aspx?fbclid=w12oal035ax8-bgv56p62vtev86enxacjq-7