Teen girl athletes deserve training that empowers, respects, and uplifts.
There is a gap in awareness of pubescent female athletics. This lack of awareness is damaging girls’ athletic careers and lives before they even reach 16 years old. This includes irreversible bone damage, extreme burn-out, and eating disorders. I created Hitting The Wall because I don’t think you have to sacrifice your body to be a good athlete."
Julia Howe
Founder and Executive Director
Our Why
As a teenager, you already face challenges in accepting the changes in your body. As an athlete, when your self-worth is tied to how your body performs and appears, it can lead to a constant battle within yourself.
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Within the athletic community, young female
athletes often find their training and diet regimens
dictated by male perspectives, without proper
understanding of the nuances of being a woman,
which can lead to detrimental consequences.
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Beyond internal struggles, female athletes also
grapple with societal perceptions that put their safety at risk. Simple actions like going for a 2-mile run outside can become dangerous due to the fear of harassment, assault, or worse. We are witnessing the destruction of our young athletes long before they reach the end of puberty.
Hitting the Wall is redefining support for teen girl athletes.
Through education, advocacy, and partnerships, we provide resources for mental health, injury prevention, nutrition, and empowerment—ensuring every athlete thrives.
The Issue
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​28-40% of female athletes experience some form of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which includes disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and impaired bone health.
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30-50% of female athletes report feeling stressed their bodies and performance.
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Up to 70% of female athletes engage in behaviors leading to disordered eating.
Hitting The Wall In The News
Feb 28, 2024 - Hitting the Wall, a podcast and community of teen athletes who share their experiences...
Seen In
Our Leadership Team
Julia Howe
Julia Howe, is a 16-year-old entrepreneur from San Francisco, California. Julia loves competing nationally in USAT events as a member of Team USA Aquathlon. She is a program manager at Heart In Motion, and coordinates 4,000 total Bay Area youth volunteers to the biggest road races in the world, including Bay to Breakers and SF Marathon, volunteering on the finish lines. She advocates for wellness as a host of Express Yourself Teen Radio, which broadcasts to 132 countries on VoiceAmerica, honored as the top YA broadcast on the program, and Starstyle-Be the Star You Are!, with 4.5 million listeners. She has been recognized as a "Changemaker" by Forbes and the 2024 Build a Brighter Future Grant Recipient.
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Our Founder & Executive Director
The Directors
Alara Tore
Finance Director
Ashley Wong
Recruitment Director
Co-Research Director
Katherine Rogers
Events Co-Director
Jazmin Zapata
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Social Media Director
Events Co-Director
Maahir Gupta
Aasha Ryan
Research Co-Director
Alyssa Chang
Social Media Team
Mirabella
Eleanor
Lexi
April
Samantha
Research Team
Audrey
Phyu
Rupsa
Ella
Carolyn
Jacqueline
Matea
Elyse
Jennifer
Chaitanya
Giselle
Carolina
Sidney
Gloria
Aanya
Elisa
Claire
Siya
Charlotte
Samantha
Shivani
Hannah
Leena
Lillian
Caintlin
Amy
Amelia
Seren
Audrey
Adna
Outreach Managers
Stella
Sona
Grand Prize winner of $5000 Build a Brighter Future Grant
Frigo Cheese Heads proudly announces the 35 winners of its "Build a Bright Future" vision grants. These vision grants support inspiring youth working to achieve their dreams of building a brighter future for themselves and their communities through business or community-building ideas. Now in its 10th year, the “Build a Bright Future” program is aligned with the brand’s mission to encourage tweens and teens to embrace individuality and creativity.
