Mind Right, Body Tight: How Dr. William Hill Transforms Athletic Recovery

Send us a text

In this episode of The Mindscape Report with Dr. Wilsa, Dr. William Hill, orthopedic surgeon, former UVA football captain, and founder of Athlete Forever, joins us to explore the deep intersection of sports, medicine, and mental wellness.

Mental health concerns remain a pressing issue in athletics. According to the NCAA’s 2022–23 Health and Wellness Study, 44% of female student-athletes and 17% of male student-athletes report feeling constantly overwhelmed, while 35% of women and 16% of men report being mentally exhausted. Beyond college, the national picture is equally concerning: the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that nearly 40% of U.S. high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and over 20% have seriously considered suicide in the past year.

Against this backdrop, Dr. Hill discusses his then upcoming Youth Sports Awards event (which has since taken place successfully, featuring his "Being a Champion for Life" panel with the Rose Bowl Institute). From the locker rooms of Division I football to the operating rooms of USC, Dr. Hill shares how his lived experience as a Black collegiate athlete shaped his holistic approach to sports medicine. He breaks down the often-overlooked mental toll of athletic injury, the systemic disparities in access to mental health resources for athletes in underserved communities, and how true healing must extend beyond surgery.

With a powerful call for interdisciplinary collaboration and long-term investment in athletes' lives beyond the field, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone who works with or advocates for high-performance individuals navigating identity, injury recovery, and transition.