A syndemic occurs when two or more afflictions create a greater burden than either would produce alone. The interaction of COVID-19 with the highly publicized acts of racism this past year have produced a syndemic that will require a fresh, multi-faceted form of resiliency if society is to recover and become stronger. This editorial interviews two Olympians, Wendy Bruce-Martin and Justin Spring, who are exemplars of the kind of discipline and creativity needed to bounce back from both personal and professional set-backs. Coaction research findings are discussed and the components recommended by the American Psychological Association for building resilience are reviewed.
Keywords: coaction research; coronavirus; racism; resilience; syndemic.