How I Started My Non-Profit The Hidden Opponent (Founder Story!)

Real Pod

Dear Media

Health & Fitness, So Much To Say, Athlete, Taylor Swift, Perfectionist, Eating Disorder, Friendship, Self Help, Self-improvement, Self Care, Athletes, Mental Health, Overcoming Eating Disorders, Body Neutrality, Sports, Education, Body Image, Recovery, Perfectionism, Real Talk

4.8 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Have you ever wondered how Vic started The Hidden Opponent? Or what it really takes to launch and run a non-profit? This episode is your crash course! Vic shares why she founded THO, how Kobe Bryant played a key role, and the real behind-the-scenes of building a movement for student-athlete mental health. She also introduces THO’s new CEO, their Avengers-level Board of Directors, and gives a sneak peek at the adidas x The Hidden Opponent collab — out now! If you’re passionate about mental health or want to make a difference, this episode will leave you fired up to take action.

Shop the collection:

Learn more: thehiddenopponent.org

Follow: @thehiddenopponent

Vic’s TEDx Talk: The Hidden Opponent: Student Athletes And Mental Health

Read: Geese Are Never Swans by Kobe Bryant

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The following podcast is a dear media production.
0:04.4	Welcome to RealPod. It's your host, Victoria Garrick Brown, and this is the podcast where we hold nothing back.
0:11.4	Oh, so we're getting deep, huh? I really cried for 12 days straight.
0:15.9	Why do I want to be perfect? There's nothing in my life that is perfect.
0:19.1	Every week, I'll bring you honest, unfiltered,
0:22.0	and eye-opening conversations to help uncover the real in all of us. I crave the type of content
0:27.5	that you're talking about. I actually felt insecure. Oh my God, I'm not going to cry. Let me just
0:31.8	unload everything. New episodes every Wednesday. Leave those filters at the door because it's time to get real.
0:44.7	Hello, everybody and welcome back to RealPod. I am so excited. I'm also exhausted. I'm feeling so many things right now. By now, you've probably seen on Instagram
0:56.8	that the hidden opponent has collaborated with Adidas, our global partner, which pinch me. I'm going to
1:03.4	talk all about that today on a product line for Mental Health Awareness Month. This is something
1:10.6	that has been years in the making.
1:12.9	It's been like the biggest secret I think I've ever had to keep business charity-wise,
1:19.7	I guess you could say.
1:21.0	And it is surreal that it is out in the world.
1:23.6	And like, look how cute the jersey is.
1:25.6	If you're watching this on YouTube, you're going to see that I'm wearing our cute baseball jersey with the mental health of ribbon and the gross
1:33.0	serotonin molecular structure for serotonin, that is, with leaves and flowers. I did learn that
1:38.6	through the design process. But anyways, I'm on cloud nine and also recording this, I'm recording this before.
1:45.8	This is all even out in the world.
1:47.1	It's not even May.
1:48.5	But today, we just finalized our board of directors.
	...

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