An Extreme Summer Workout Left This Hockey Standout on Life Support
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Matthew Mayich stepped onto the field of Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, at about 7 a.m. on August 20. It was the standout hockey player’s first official practice with his new team, and temperatures were already in the mid-80s. He and […]
On August 20, Matthew Mayich, a standout hockey player at Arizona State University, began his first official practice with his new team at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The temperature was already in the mid-80s. He and his teammates performed various exercises, including push-ups, planks, and squats, under the supervision of guest trainer and former Green Beret Tim Ziesel.
At around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Ziesel instructed the players to perform a medicine ball run. Mayich appeared to struggle and eventually collapsed, experiencing what his family's lawyer, Robert Carey, called exertional heat stroke. The condition worsened, and Mayich was taken to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Carey stated that the family's hope for a meaningful recovery is near a miracle. Mayich's parents expressed their desire for accountability and the truth. The workout lasted longer than initially reported, and the university did not follow its own heat policy guidelines. Mayich's death highlights the increasing risk of heat-related injuries as climate change leads to more frequent, intense, and prolonged extreme heat events.
Despite progress in heat safety since the death of Korey Stringer in 1995, many organizations rely on vague recommendations and limited mandates, leaving athletes at risk.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
