Emma Tell, a junior on the women’s soccer team at Quincy University, works to overcome personal challenges and refuses to let tough times define her, especially as an athlete.

Tell has faced more challenges than most athletes encounter in their whole careers. She has torn her MCL twice and was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, also known as POTS. POTS is a disorder that causes an abnormal increase in heart rate, leading to dizziness or lightheadedness, fatigue, and other symptoms.

She tore her MCL during her freshman year, when she was playing at Maryville University, and it took her nine months to recover. She mentioned that there was not a great support system there, so she transferred to Quincy University. The third practice she had at QU, she tore her MCL again for the second time.

“Here, it was definitely still hard, mentally, physically, emotionally, but I had the best support system I could ask for here. And that made it a lot easier to go through,” Tell said.

She said that her heart rate would start increasing to absurd numbers just from walking, leading to her diagnosis of POTS.

Through the tiny aches and pains in her knee and having to stay hydrated, eat, and sleep enough, she said that even when she does everything right, there are still days she will pass out.

“I would say the biggest amount of help I had was from my teammates and even my family, even though my family is not here. I feel like I have a second family here and they’ve been my reason for why I want to come back. I want to give this team my all, even if some days it looks different,” Tell said.

She also added that she is grateful to have overcome everything and become more patient.

One of her teammates, Daniella Segall, made remarks about how Tell has helped her through her own tough times.

“Her perseverance, determination, and constant will to fight motivate and inspire me every day to keep pushing and fighting even when it is hard. She has also shown me that you can go through hell and back and still come out on the other side stronger,” Segall said.

She added that Tell reaches out to her support systems with confidence rather than fear.

“What makes Emma stand out is her work ethic. She is a spark every time she goes in, and good things always happen because she works hard for our team. She sets the standard for hard work,” Ella Wolfard, a senior on women’s soccer, said.

Tell made great steps through the 2025 fall soccer season, appearing in games and letting her strength and resilience guide the way.

“I think it helped me realize that my identity isn’t just an athlete, and it made me step back and realize that I’m so much more than that,” Tell said.

She shares her story to inspire other athletes facing adversity and to remind them that their worth extends beyond the game.