THE REALITY OF RISK
The reality of the risk of a sport like mine, an ‘extreme’ sport, became clear once again a few weeks ago. I was in Tucson, Arizona and was shaken by a few things. First, the news of Canadian Freestyle Skier Sarah Burke and the horrific result of a seemingly minor crash on the superpipe up in Park City the week before. Second, a few days after arriving in the desert state for that eleven-day training camp and a stupid crash with, again, horrific results.
Let’s Talk! Join the conversation to end the stigma of mental illness
Since I first joined Bell in September 2010 to announce the Bell Let’s Talk campaign, Canadians from all walks of life have approached me sharing their stories and thanking me for being part of this. It’s now the second year of this campaign, and what I continue to hear is how important it is to so many Canadians. The response has been incredible and I am excited to see how the conversation about mental health will continue to grow and mental illness become de-stigmatized.
One of the most startling statistics that we often hear is that one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. And that doesn’t include the impact on family and friends who watch and worry, often feeling helpless, as a loved one struggles.
Over a decade ago, I was part of this statistic.
Bell launches 2012 'Let's Talk' mental health campaign
Olympian Clara Hughes, who has been working to get Canadians talking since being named national spokesperson last year, says she’s been encouraged by the impact so far.
“Canadians really stepped up to talk about mental health on last year’s very successful Bell Let’s Talk Day, and the conversation has only continued to grow since then,” Hughes said in a statement.
For this year’s campaign, the 6-time Olympic medalist and longtime sufferer of depression is joined by a pair of Quebec spokespeople: author, composer and performer Stefie Shock, and actor-comedian Michel Mpambara.
