Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Paul Marlow is used to standing out. At 6’7″, the personal trainer and one-time Toronto Blue Jays draft pick — perhaps better known as ‘Tall Paul’ — is hard to miss. What’s new is his growing comfort in using that attention to connect with others about mental health. Having dealt with his father’s death, along … Continue reading ‘Tall Paul’ Marlow: “I don’t want to just go in 95 percent”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
When Ryan Martin set off to cycle 8,000 kilometres across Canada to raise funds for mental health initiatives, he couldn’t have imagined how his life would change. The Guelph, Ontario native had only recently gone public with his story of living with bipolar disorder, and he was still working on the path to wellness. Today, … Continue reading Ryan Martin: “Mental illness is just a part of who you are”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
When Melanie Wood set out to tell the story of the HOpe Centre in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she didn’t know what to expect. A documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver, she had been used to telling stories of people whose voices had often been neglected. Her documentary A Stranger In Our Home told the story of two … Continue reading Melanie Wood: “People need to be heard when they’re sick”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
At just 18 years of age, Loizza Aquino has already found her life’s mission. An 11-time award winning mental health advocate, Aquino — a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba — is the founder of Peace of Mind, a nonprofit comprised of young people working to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health. For Aquino, the cause is … Continue reading Loizza Aquino: “Conversation can save a life”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Few careers can be as fraught with potential for post-traumatic stress as the armed forces. Stéphane Grenier knows better than most. A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Grenier spent 29 years in the Canadian military, during which time he spent nine months in Rwanda alongside Roméo Dallaire during one of the worst genocides in modern history. “General Dallaire was … Continue reading Stéphane Grenier: “When we talk about trauma, we always want to look for the smoking gun”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
A lot can change in a year. Amy Tunstall is living proof. In February of 2017, she had sought help for depression and anxiety. In the past twelve months alone, the Niagara-raised Tunstall has hiked the Bruce Trail, raising over $3,000 for her home branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association; fought one of the busiest forest … Continue reading Amy Tunstall: “The crazy ideas are always the best ones”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
When it comes to highs and lows, Travis Gerrits is something of an expert. One of the top freestyle skiers in Canada, he is also part of a rising tide in sports: athletes using their platform to raise awareness about mental health. For Gerrits, the issue took on greater significance after being diagnosed with bipolar … Continue reading Travis Gerrits: “There’s so much more to an individual than their diagnosis”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Home for John Rathwell and Tracy Guenard is a pretty small space these days: since May of 2016, the Gatineau, Quebec couple has been crisscrossing Canada and the United States in a newly-polished 1991 Volkswagen Westfalia, meeting people and sharing their stories of pursuing happiness. “It’s a beautiful van,” says Guenard. “It’s small — 15 … Continue reading Searching for Sero: “You can’t buy happiness; you need to go find it”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Shelagh Rogers has built a legacy in Canadian radio on the strength of bringing people together. From the CBC’s Morningside, to Sounds Like Canada, to This Morning and The Next Chapter, the Ottawa-born broadcaster’s inimitable warmth, kindness, and curiosity have made loyal listeners across the country. With a voice heard by over a million Canadians, Rogers hasn’t been shy about … Continue reading Shelagh Rogers: “We need to support each other in our suffering”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
What if urban planners started viewing themselves as part of a community’s health care team? That’s what Robin Mazumder, a Vanier Scholar and doctoral candidate in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo, would like to see. Mazumder, a former occupational therapist, started researching the psychological impacts of urban design after working in the mental … Continue reading Robin Mazumder: “I’m really curious about how living in a city impacts your mental health”