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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Syracuse women’s basketball player Emily Engstler’s last-second bucket helped Syracuse knock off 8th-ranked Florida State in January 2020. Little did anyone know that Engstler was battling depression.
“I went home and I just wanted to be in bed every single day and my mom was kind of just sick of it,” she said. “She would come in at 3 p.m. and pull just like when I was a kid. She would be like, ‘what are you doing? Go for a walk, please, anything‘.”
On top of dealing with the pandemic at home, Engstler knew she needed a change.
“Working out gives you strong mental health, so I worked out every single day. I went to work every single day. I did the same thing for four months straight. It transformed my body and I just couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Engstler lost over 40 pounds, not only helping her become a better player but helping her mentality.
“I think I have grown so much into this person I have been trying to be my entire life. We are all trying to figure it out still, but it has definitely gotten a lot better,” she said.