Kate Fagan is a sports reporter and the author of What Made Maddy Run. Like Madison, Fagan is a former college athlete, having played basketball at the University of Colorado. Fagan was a writer for espnW, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine and a regular panelist on ESPN‘s Around the Horn and the host of Outside the Lines. She also covered the Philadelphia 76ers for the Philadelphia Inquirer for three seasons before joining the ESPN staff.

Throughout the book, Fagan uses her own experiences with anxiety to illuminate key aspects of Madison’s struggle. Fagan spent her freshman year unable to play basketball due to an injury, and she loved the perks of being a student athlete. However, in her sophomore year, she struggled to adapt to the demands of training. She tried to quit playing, but she had a patient mentor who suggested therapy. Therapy helped, and Fagan began to enjoy playing again. After college, Fagan briefly played basketball in Ireland. While Fagan empathizes with Madison, she did not struggle with depression. She interviews people who have more knowledge of Madison’s particular struggle.