As many of you already know, 1614 will be shutting down next month. This heartbreaking reality comes with an even tougher realization to face: Mike Womer will no longer be training Wilmington University athletes.

Mike isn’t just an athletic trainer. He is the beacon of light and positivity on a Tuesday morning at 6AM when no one wants to even consider lifting a dumbbell. He is the uplifting voice of encouragement after a game we should’ve won but didn’t. Mike’s influence in the personal and athletic lives of Wilmington University athletes has weaved through years of each program’s existence, from the beginning of the Men’s Lacrosse program to the duration spent with the Volleyball program.

Trainers build up athletes to be strong, pushing weights to be heavier and for agility to be faster. But Mike goes above and beyond. He recognizes that an athlete’s mental health comes first. He takes the time to check in with each individual, and evaluated their headspace to see how he can respond. He pushes athletes to an elevated level of strength by working around injuries so that no athlete is at risk of missing a game or practice. He ends every session the same way, yelling “Be safe and take care of each other.” This statement is a true testament to the exemplary trainer Mike is.

Sign this petition to keep Mike in the WilmU family.