About Us
Our Mission
The Can't Scared Project's mission is to motivate and inspire athletes to embrace vulnerability, face their fears, and live with purpose. We aim to build a connected community that fosters courage, authenticity, and a sense of personal and collective accountability—all essential to an athlete's journey. By equipping athletes with the understanding that moments of fear, anxiety, or vulnerability are natural, we empower them to bravely define their story, not by their fears, but by their unwavering purpose—a story where you truly own your fears and embrace your purpose.
About The Can't Scared Project
What's up! I'm Jim Ruzich, a proud girl dad to two amazing little girls and a husband of nine years to my incredible wife, Amanda. I'm also the proud Founder and Executive Director of The Can't Scared Project. Our mission is to motivate and inspire athletes to courageously own their fears and wholeheartedly embrace their purpose. We're building a connected community where courage truly flourishes and authenticity is celebrated. We deeply believe that navigating mental challenges like fear, anxiety, and vulnerability is a natural, even essential, part of an athlete's journey, and these moments should never be the full story of who they are. Instead, athletes should own their fears and embrace their purpose!
My own mental health journey is truly at the core of what we do here. For much of my life, including my time as a collegiate baseball player, I quietly struggled with anxiety and depression. It wasn't until I was in my twenties, after my collegiate career had ended, that I finally received a clinical diagnosis. It was a profound moment, finally putting a name to the struggles I'd carried for so long. Looking back at my athletic career, especially at the collegiate level, it's now clear how deeply my untreated anxiety, amplified by the external pressures athletes face all too often, impacted my performance and overall well-being.
Today, athletes face incredible pressure from a young age, whether intended or not. These external factors can swell, becoming truly overwhelming to an athlete's performance and spirit. I’ve seen this increasingly amplified in the world of sports, and I knew I wanted to make a difference. Athletes pour countless hours into honing their skills and perfecting their craft, yet it often feels like so little attention is placed on the vital mental fortitude needed to truly thrive at a high level.
After my baseball career, I discovered a new, powerful outlet in endurance running. I've now completed numerous half and full marathons, and I'm eagerly setting my sights on an ultra marathon soon! Running became so much more than just physical activity; it transformed into a profound practice of mental training. It was truly on these runs that the groundwork for The Can't Scared Project began to take shape.
As an educator by day, and through my own mental training, I realized I could combine my professional experience with my personal athletic journey to inspire and motivate athletes of all ages. This powerful realization was the genesis of The Can't Scared Project. We're passionately dedicated to cultivating a connected community that not only motivates and inspires, but also fosters a sense of personal and collective accountability, ensuring that fear never dictates our paths forward.
We are a charitable organization, diligently working toward our non-profit status. In the meantime, all proceeds will directly support general mental health awareness and provide crucial, tailored services specifically for athletes. We are deeply committed to ensuring that tangible support is always available, because we truly believe no one should ever face their mental struggles alone.
A Note from Jim: While my journey has provided me with a unique perspective and deep empathy, it's important to know that I am not a clinical psychologist or a licensed therapist. The heart of The Can't Scared Project is to inspire and motivate through shared experiences, proven mental training methods, and by building a genuinely welcoming community. Our goal is to empower every athlete with the understanding that they are absolutely not alone in their mental health journey. We're here to champion you, offer tools, and connect you with a supportive network as you bravely navigate your path.