Zach Ripperdan, a 2024 graduate of Queen Creek High School, is launching an athletic clothing brand called New Mind Athletics to promote suicide awareness. The initiative stems from his personal experience with mental health struggles during a two-year mission in Ecuador for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which he undertook after deferring enrollment at Utah State University.
Ripperdan, who ranks sixth all-time in Arizona for the 800 meters with a time of 1:51.23, disclosed that he had planned to end his life while serving in Ecuador. He stated that his mission companion intervened by moving him away from a rooftop edge, allowing him to seek necessary help.
Ripperdan attributed his distress to "toxic perfectionism" and the pressure of identifying solely as an athlete, compounded by his father Adam’s battle with cancer.
Adam Ripperdan passed away at home on July 3. Zach noted that the brand concept was developing before his father’s death, but the loss reinforced the goal of helping others who may be affected by the passing of a loved one. He emphasized the importance of recognizing that individuals are more than their athletic achievements.
Adam Lopez, a former high school teammate, joined the effort after reaching out to Ripperdan. Lopez, who played soccer for three years before switching to track and field his senior year, earned a spot on the roster at Mesa Community College and subsequently attracted interest from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Division I institution in the Horizon League.
