Stanford Women's Soccer goalie Katie Meyer died by suicide, her mother confirmed during an emotional interview with NBC's TODAY Show Friday (March 4) morning.
Gina Meyer appeared alongside her husband, Steve, to discuss their daughter's death in hopes of preventing other parents from facing a similar tragedy.
"She died by suicide," Gina Meyer said during her TODAY Show interview. "The last couple days are like a parent’s worst nightmare and you don’t wake up from it. So it’s just horrific."
"I don’t even think it’s hit us yet," she added. "We’re still in shock. But we had no red flags."
Meyer, 22, a senior majoring in International Relations and minoring in History, was a team captain for the Cardinal, guiding Stanford to a 2019 national championship as a redshirt freshman.
"Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world," Stanford athletics wrote in a news release signed by Susie Brubaker-Cole, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, and Bernard Muir, the Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics. "Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said “changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work together to overcome” to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women’s soccer program and to women’s sports in general.
"Fiercely competitive, Katie made two critical saves in a penalty shootout against North Carolina to help Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019. Katie was a bright shining light for so many on the field and in our community."
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.