Madias Loper: A Passion for Impact and Change for Good

When Madias Loper was growing up, his mother had him write papers on historical Black figures over the summer months so he would always know where he came from – and he could learn about the leaders who made a difference in the lives of millions of African Americans.

What a young Madias didn't realize, however, was that his mother, whom he cites as his biggest inspiration, favorite person and best friend, was setting him up to be a leader in his own right in his community, as well.

"At that time I hated writing those papers because it was summer homework, but over time I have learned the value of what she did," said Loper, a senior at Carolina. "It wasn't just homework; she was showing us the importance of where we came from. Those lessons and experiences I gained shaped me."

Loper, who concluded his career as a Track & Field student-athlete at Carolina last spring, has used these lessons to become active in social justice and community service efforts in Chapel Hill and beyond. Not only has he organized marches and held difficult conversations, also he helped launch a new program to help student-athletes find equity and inclusion.

"To be afforded a platform to be an athlete at a school like North Carolina, you can use it to do so many more things than just your sport," he said. "The reach you have as an athlete here is so much more impactful than just how far you can throw a shot put or how many points you score in a basketball game."

One of Loper's proudest moments as a Tar Heel occurred when he used his platform for change at the 2020 Black Lives Matter March. He organized the event alongside of a group of fellow Track & Field student-athletes, including Lauryn Hall and Nicole Barnes.

He spoke at the march, reflecting on his experiences and dipping into his raw emotions to speak to the crowd, which included more than 200 student-athletes, coaches and staff in attendance.

"It was a little nerve-racking speaking to that many people, but I felt strongly about the cause, let my heart speak and knew that my purpose here is to speak to people," he said. "Being in that moment was so powerful, just to see how our platform outside of competing and playing our sports is so impactful."

Finding his voice, though, was not always easy. He knew he wanted to make a difference from a young age, so he ran for president of his fourth-grade class.

"When I stood up in front of everyone at lunch, I froze," he said. "But from that day on, I promised myself to never do that again and always present myself as best as I can."

Over the years, he has worked on leadership. Citing his father, who served in the United States Army, Madias emulates servant leadership learned from the many lessons shared and taught in his family and at his time at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School.

"Madias is passionate, involved and driven to make a big, big impact on social justice movements within our team, within our campus, within our community and across our country," said Track and Field coach Chris Miltenberg. "This is something Madias feels on a deep level and is a place where he can make a big difference; he's been really incredible leading dialogue and at the forefront with what's going on in our world."

Because of that leadership and commitment to helping others, Loper was honored with the annual Diversity and Inclusion Award at the 2022 RAMMYs. The award is given each year to an individual, team or unit that has demonstrated a significant contribution toward creating a diverse and inclusive UNC community, advancing diversity awareness, knowledge and skills within the community critical in establishing inclusive excellence at UNC.

He was also part of a small cohort of student-athletes from across the Atlantic Coast Conference to join a trip to Selma and Montgomery, Ala., to learn more about the history of civil rights and to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the ACC UNITE Tour. The group, which had representatives from each of the ACC schools spoke with freedom fighters, visited museums in the area and held powerful conversations about social justice going forward.

Standing in Selma, Loper realized just what an impact one young African-American man can have, and how people can join to make a change.

"Selma was the experience I didn't know I needed," he said. "To be able to come together and embark on that experience, and to see all of these different people from across the ACC come together as a group of like-minded, determined people is something I will cherish the rest of my life."

And to pass it forward. This semester he is working with fellow student-athletes to create the Student-Athletes Facilitating Equity (SAFE) program to promote equity and inclusion across Carolina.

"The purpose behind SAFE is to promote the idea that we all wear Carolina across our chest, and we can all be equal," said Loper. "We want to create a space to learn, a space to include and a space to be included all the time."

SAFE's mission, Loper said, is to provide an inclusive environment and safe space for student-athletes from all backgrounds and levels of understanding to motivate them to come together and create social change.

After officially retiring from competition in early 2023, Loper will graduate in May and plans to stay involved with the Carolina's Track & Field program and athletics. Next Fall he will join the Masters of Accounting program within the Kenan-Flagler Business School with the goal of earning his MBA and working in sports business.

As we celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February and honor the many contributions of African-Americans throughout our history, Loper offers this advice for anyone hoping to foster a diverse and inclusive place:

"Give yourself the best opportunity to be the best you can be, for everyone."

For more information about SAFE, including their upcoming march, visit their Instagram, @SAFEUNC.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Nicole Barnes

Lauryn Hall

Madias Loper

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