MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — A faculty member at Millersville University (MU) is making a big impact for some athletes competing in this year's Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Marc Felizzi, an associate social work professor at MU, has been selected to serve as a mental health provider for both current and retired U.S. Olympic Athletes.
Since he was selected, Felizzi has been meeting with Olympians and Paralympians via video calls to help them with their mental health.
He says mental health is just as important as physical health for the athletes.
"You're in a foreign country you, don’t speak the language," said Felizzi. "There is pressure on you daily to compete and do better than you did yesterday so there is a tremendous amount of emotional distress that could occur."
Felizzi says he's also looking forward to working with U.S. athletes on home soil once they return from Beijing.