Did you know that the supply of electricity from clean energy sources must double within the next eight years, to put the world on a net-zero emissions trajectory by 2050? Were you aware that shifting to a green economy could yield a direct economic gain of $26 trillion through 2030 and could produce over 65 million new low-carbon jobs? Would you have guessed that the bold actions of a former Rutgers University steeplechaser provides an example of exactly the kind of resolve that can help humanity achieve those goals?

Lou Mialhe is that steeplechaser and she is exactly who we need right now: Someone who is willing to try big, audacious, new things – and is unafraid to fail – to reach her objective, and at record speed. These are prime reasons why she is EcoAthletes’ newest Champion.

Her ‘no fear’ approach to life was put to the test at a young age. Since her home state of New Jersey doesn’t have competitive scholastic steeplechase, Mialhe ran her first such event in her life as a high schooler in a college meet. Which means she had never practiced much less completed a water jump. Her first attempt was for official time, in front of older more experienced athletes and spectators.  

Mialhe’s high school track coach emphasized overall strength and technique that would benefit his runners in any race at any distance. He saw her strength in the 400-meter hurdles, along with her fearlessness, as good indicators that she might excel in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, a combination of distance running, hurdling and dealing with the challenges of a once-per-lap jump over water.

“My coach told me he was going to sign me up for a college meet to run steeplechase, so I thought ‘OK, I’ll try it,” Mialhe recalled. “I did well and after that it was just steeplechase for me. I only ran it four or five times in high school, but I made it a goal to run at nationals, which is rare for New Jersey runners because there’s no opportunity within the state like there is in New York. I ended up qualifying for nationals which is where I got recruited to be a steeplechaser at Rutgers. Looking back now, it was definitely really bold. My coach said I’d be fine, and I just did it.”

Although Mialhe initially felt that her technique in the water pits was ‘awful’, she was finally able to practice and hone her skills when she got to the New Brunswick, NJ campus. She conquered the water pits and the rest of the course to such an extent that she set a new school record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, which she then broke four more times. This is the kind of boundary breaking Mialhe brings to the #ClimateComeback!

Food waste was the topic that first awakened Mialhe’s environmental consciousness while growing up in Princeton, NJ. Her mom showed her that minimizing food waste was a great way to have a positive impact on the earth with minimal effort. Mialhe brought that sensibility with her to Rutgers.

“When I was in the cafeteria, I noticed that the conveyor belt of used dishes would go along covered in food,” she shared. “I just thought- people don’t realize what they are doing.” After moving into an off-campus apartment, she continued to minimize waste and she and her roommate started composting.

Mialhe was also motivated to address waste when it came to her athletic apparel. She received more clothing and shoes from team sponsors than she could possibly wear and made sure to give them to people and programs that would use them. And track and field is relatively spartan when it comes to apparel. “Our sport uses minimal gear,” she observed. “We don’t get nearly as much stuff as football or soccer; we probably use the least — just summer clothes, winter clothes, shoes, and spikes. Softball gets bats, new mitts, helmets, and kneepads, and there’s just no reuse.”

Mialhe’s passion for the environment grew during her undergraduate days at Rutgers. Before that came to fruition, she pursued a kinesiology major but soon realized that she didn’t want to be a trainer or physical therapist. She then pivoted, broadening her scope by switching her major to public health while minoring in Spanish. Although most of the class material was intriguing, it was the powerful triumvirate of climate change, environmental health, and public policy that grabbed her the most. 

“Global Health Perspectives was a class that opened my mind to a world of issues, rather than the traditional tunnel vision of only seeing problems that affect your daily life,” offered Mialhe. “Mental health and society is another class that helped me understand how societies are changing quickly and how powerful outside factors, like climate change, can drastically change the mental health of a large group of people.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mialhe’s senior year track season got cut short. Ending her athletic career this abruptly just didn’t sit right with her; something felt unfinished. But there was a silver lining: the Rutgers coaching staff offered her the option to run for another two years because she had additional NCAA eligibility — she was allowed two extra seasons, one due to COVID, the other due to injury — and earn a graduate degree.

Mialhe jumped on the opportunity. On the track, she reached two key milestones – being named team captain both years while also qualifying for the NCAA regional championships for the first time. 

In the classroom, graduate school offered Mialhe the chance to dive much more deeply into environmental issues, and she will soon graduate with a master’s in public health with a concentration in environmental health science.

Given her academic and athletic pursuits, she not surprisingly became interested in the intersection of Green and Sports. While research that field on LinkedIn, she noticed a post from fellow Rutgers student-athlete and EcoAthletes Champion Kelsey Klein (women’s lacrosse) about Ecoathletes, and she reached out to founder Lew Blaustein.

He quickly saw that Mialhe would be a great addition to the Champions squad.

“I could tell right away that Lou has a wonderful combination of confidence and humility, curiosity and commitment, thoughtfulness and energy,” Blaustein related. “Those qualities and more made it a no-brainer to invite her to become a Champion. I’m so glad she accepted!”

As an Ecoathletes Champion, she has a new outlet for her climate activism and the tools to help her step up her climate advocacy. She is currently the captain of the Rutgers team for the EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup, which is a competition for student-athletes and others to use their workouts to help remove greenhouse gasses from the air. Her personal goals for a #climatecomeback are to shift to a plant-based diet and start a career in sustainable sports that will grow her impact. Given Mialhe’s “track” record, she is likely to achieve both, and fast!

You can follow Lou on Instagram and Twitter