World Champion sprinter and Princeton-trained psychologist Jasmine Blocker has been appointed the newest National Ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental-health organization. She joins advocates like Jay Shetty, Morgan Stewart, Sutton Stracke, and Mayim Bialik in her new role.
With more than 700 affiliates and state organizations, NAMI has spent more than 40 years advancing advocacy, education, and access to care for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Its work continues to influence the national conversation through community-centered support and inclusive representation. Blocker’s appointment marks an important turning point in the conversation around mental health, resilience, and the experiences that shape both.
For too long, strength has been celebrated without acknowledging what it often costs. Blocker’s lived experience and academic background place her at the center of a growing movement toward emotional fluency. NAMI selected her for her authenticity, her credibility, and her ability to reach communities that are often overlooked in mental-health conversations. “Mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline,” says Blocker.
Why This Matters Now
With self-care increasingly commercialized. Blocker offers a much-needed return to sincerity. From discussing anxiety, PTSD, and the pressure to appear fine when you’re unraveling, she speaks openly about healing, reflecting a cultural shift toward honesty and emotional integrity. Her view on resilience is equally unglamorous, as strength isn’t the tidy, curated after-photo; it’s the part where you admit you’re struggling and keep going anyway.
A Long Island native and Princeton psychology graduate with an MBA, Blocker turned down a position with Goldman Sachs to pursue professional athletics and became the first track athlete signed by Lululemon. Her openness about anxiety, trauma, and recovery, combined with her clinical understanding of mental health, has positioned her as an emerging leader at the intersection of sport, science, and storytelling. As NAMI’s National Ambassador, she continues her commitment to bridging advocacy, academia, and lived experience.
Cultural Throughline
We are entering a moment defined by emotional integrity. Blocker’s combination of scientific training and personal truth gives her a unique ability to speak to this shift. “We cheer for resilience until it looks like recovery. Then, we look away,” she says. “I want to make that conversation impossible to look away from.”
