My name is Grace Irene Liveoak. I walked-on to the Novice IU Women’s Rowing Team, my freshman year at Indiana University. By the end of my freshman year, I represented IU at the 2019 Big Ten Rowing Championships, as a competitor in the lll Varsity Fours. I am currently undergoing testing from Dr. Mohan Shenoy at IU Health for Vasovagal Syncope Dysautonomia (Neuropathy), by my parent’s own funding. I do not want my testimony to ruin Jessica Novack’s career in Athletic Training. I want justice for myself. I want to ensure no student athlete at IU, will ever relate to my experience. I hope my message is clear to you. I have many more stories of my own, as well as other student athletes who experienced medical negligence under her care. Please, listen to my testimony, hear my truth, act, and nurture the student athletes that are still representing Indiana University.

In December of 2019, my body surpassed the ability to safely complete an erg workout under the surveillance, and instruction of the IU Women’s Rowing Coaching Faculty. Halfway through my workout, my vision blurred, my ears began to ring, while my fingertips and toes were rapidly losing heat. I slowly stood up from the erg, in an effort to seek medical aid from Jessica Novack. Out of breath and panting, I tried to inform Jessica Novack the symptoms of my central nervous system reaction, coupled with my menstrual cycle. It became physically impossible for me to breath, see clearly, and feel the nerves on my body. I could only get out the words, “I am on my menstrual cycle and-“, before Jessica Novack cut me off mid-sentence. Jessica Novack looked me in the eyes, and said, “I don’t care if you’re on your period. Finish your workout.” I finished my workout. That is my last memory of training as an IU Student Athlete.

Dating back to 2018, I had informed various IU Rowing coaching staff, on numerous occasions, that I often experienced; shortness of breath, dizziness, intense headaches, lose of appetite, irregular sleeping, blurred vision, ringing in my ears, as well as cold fingers and toes. I was told all of my symptoms were Anemia, sleep, and diet based. I received Iron supplementary tablets. An EKG was completed upon my acceptance to the team in 2018. If my health had been taken seriously, Jessica Novack should have ordered me an appointment with our team doctor to address my symptoms that had reached an all-time high by December, 2019.

Jessica Novack, as well as the greater IU Athletic Department, robbed me of my love for rowing; my outlet of joy, and competitive expression. It has taken me two years to finally have the courage to tell my story. Her medical negligence, has left me a completely unrecognizable person to my parents, family, and friends. I lost more than my D1 title when I quit the team in January, 2020. My health rapidly began to fail. I lost the support of my teammates, and the confidence to excel in my Law & Public Policy major at O’Neill. If Jessica Novack would have taken my symptoms seriously from 2018, she could have saved my heart and brain from four years’ worth of untreated damage due to prolonged, intense athletic training without adequate care.

I refuse to be intimidated by Jessica Novack, and the greater Indiana University Athletic Department any longer. Jessica Novack is no longer staff on the IU Women’s Rowing team, but I demand she is held responsible for the care she failed to provide. I am in the second semester of my senior year at Indiana University. I am currently completing my O’Neill internship credit at New Hope, an emergency housing shelter for families experiencing homelessness. I will graduate in May. I know who I am. I know what I fight for. I need you to fight for me. I want to settle this respectfully, but I refuse to accept anything other than the reversal of the Indiana University Sports Medicine Student-Athlete Health Exit Form I was intimidated to signed in January, 2020. The financial burden of my current health treatment is not my parent’s responsibility, it is Indiana University’s responsibility. It is my duty to ensure no student athlete will ever experience the same as I, while under Jessica Novack’s facade of athletic treatment at Indiana University. Please, help me earn my justice. Be kind to one another. I love you all. Thank you, for listening.