The Stories We Carry, Voices of Courage
A MEDA Breakfast 2026
Recovery lives in the stories we carry —Every person affected by an eating disorder carries a story. Some are stories of resilience. Others are stories of frustration, fear, and the exhausting search for help.
Stories remind us why access matters. They reveal the human cost of delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options, and barriers to care. They also show us what becomes possible when people finally receive the expert care they need.
Join MEDA for a meaningful morning of community, connection, and courage as we gather to honor the power of storytelling and the many paths to recovery.
We are honored to welcome author Mallary Tenore Tarpley and boxer Danny O’Connor, whose stories remind us that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a future worth fighting for.
MEDA’s Annual Breakfast is not only an opportunity to invest in earlier recognition, better treatment, and equitable access to care, but also to listen to the power of authentic storytelling to reduce shame, build connection, challenge harmful stereotypes, and remind others that healing is possible.
The morning will include:
- Breakfast and community connection
- Mallary Tenore Tarpley and Danny O’Connor sharing personal stories of recovery, healing, and resilience
- Opportunities to reflect, connect, and support MEDA’s programs and services
Our Speakers
MALLARY TENORE TARPLEY, MFA (SHE/HER)
Mallary Tenore Tarpley is a journalism and writing professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communicationand McCombs School of Business. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, Teen Vogue, and more. She has lived experience with anorexia and is the author of the new book “SLIP,” which blends personal narrative, research, and reportage to explore the middle place between acute sickness and full recovery.
DANNY O’CONNOR (HE/HIM)
Danny O’Connor is a former U.S. Olympian and professional boxer who speaks and writes about the severity of eating disorders through lived experience. He spent nearly two decades competing in weight-class sports while privately struggling with a serious eating disorder. His work focuses on increasing awareness of eating disorders in men, emphasizing the severity of these illnesses, the importance of early detection, and the profound physical and psychological consequences when symptoms go unrecognized. Through storytelling and advocacy, O’Connor seeks to challenge stigma and expand the conversation around eating disorders to include underrepresented populations.
Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?
Check out our list of benefits HERE.
Contact Carolyn Judge at cjudge@medainc.org with any sponsorship questions.
SPONSORS
PRESENTING Sponsors
HOPE Sponsors
EDUCATION Sponsor
RECOVERY Sponsors
STORYTELLER Sponsors
COMMUNITY Sponsors
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Every 52 min someone dies from complications due to an eating disorder and 28.8 million people in the US will struggle with an eating disorder.
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