![\"Headshot-portrait](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chamique-Holdsclaw-PIC.jpg\")
Chamique Holdsclaw, a former basketball superstar whose mental health issues led to a breakdown that she overcame as part of her successful journey to mental wellness, will speak at UToledo\u2019s 42nd annual Toledo Excel Aspiring Youth Conference.<\/p><\/div>\n
Toledo Excel Aspiring Youth is a longtime scholarship incentive program at UToledo. Its annual conference, sponsored by Owens Corning, is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. in Thompson Student Union Auditorium.<\/p>\n
Advance registration is required for the free, public conference for seventh- and eighth-graders, high school students, parents and community members.<\/p>\n
For more information and to register, visit the\u00a0Toledo Excel website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hailed as the \u201cfemale Michael Jordan,\u201d Holdsclaw was a basketball superstar. She led the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers and their legendary coach, Pat Summitt, to three straight NCAA national championships, won an Olympic gold medal and played in the WNBA.<\/p>\n Through all of that, Holdsclaw was pushing down mental health issues that eventually led to a total mental and physical breakdown. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety, and after a long journey of learning to manage her illness, Holdsclaw has come back just as fierce. But this time, she\u2019s dedicated her life\u2019s work to mental health and wellness activism.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the last several years we have seen a rise in mental health challenges with students,\u201d said David Young, director of Toledo Excel and executive director of student support in Student Affairs. \u201cI think Chamique is the perfect person to connect with young people and let them know they are not alone, it\u2019s OK to seek help and they can overcome any challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n Maurice Clarett, a star freshman running back at Ohio State University, who later served a prison sentence, turned around his life and is now a sought-after speaker, also will speak at the Toledo Excel Aspiring Youth Conference.<\/p><\/div>\n Clarett is an Ohio football legend who, as a freshman running back, led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2002 and whose in-state popularity at the time rivaled LeBron James. But Clarett\u2019s path took a difficult turn following his collegiate success; he made poor decisions that culminated in a 7-and-a-half-year prison sentence. It was during incarceration that Clarett committed to a process of profound personal transformation. He immersed himself in self-education, leadership and mentorship, and since his release, Clarett has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the nation, sharing his candid reflections on overcoming adversity, mental wellness and the discipline required for meaningful change. He is the founder of The Red Zone, a behavioral health agency based in Ohio that provides mental health and addiction recovery services to youth and families, and his story \u2014 featured in ESPN\u2019s acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary \u201cYoungstown Boys\u201d \u2014 is a testament to the power of second chances.<\/p>\n \u201cMaurice Clarett is a shining example to youth that it is never too late to pivot, turn your life around and create new pathways,\u201d Young said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t hurt that he is an Ohio native and sports hero who has become much more.\u201d<\/p>\n The musical guest for the conference is national recording artist and multimedia personality and content creator Lexi. Her YouTube channel, lexitelevision, has more than 341,000 subscribers.<\/p>\n Registration for the conference is free through Eventbrite and can be made at the event\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Maurice-Clarett-Picture.jpeg\")