Easy to get lost in all the major news events & even conflicts happening in our world in 2020…how overwhelming it all feels.
And yet, amidst all of it, many little things this yr, have combined cumulatively & exponentially to move the MH conversation forward, & much of it from the world of sports.
Here’s some of the 2020 chronology that’s been adding up in a big way: First, in January, @haydenrhurst (entering only his 3rd yr in the NFL) courageously shared his life-long MH battles when he was still a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
Months later, @ygtrece, Paul George, from the LA Clippers (an active player, in his prime) shared how his MH had declined & impacted his play. How it hit him out of what felt like nowhere.
Then, just wks later, @_4dak from the Dallas Cowboys shared his own story, related to life experiences (not just labels), from the loss of his mom, & then his brother to suicide.
A wk after Dak’s share, Hayden, now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, ran up to Dak after their tight 40-39 game, & shared a moment that the cameras picked up: 2 advocates, genuinely connecting over common battles, wanting to help others. It didn’t happen on a studio set…or before the release of one of their new clothing lines. It happened in the most organic way it could: on the field.
In a similar fashion, after the end it their playoff series, 2 men who’d openly shared their own MH battles (also at young pts in their careers), @robinlehner40 & @tmotte_14 embraced in the hand shake line abt their collective openness, encouraging each other.
Those are transcendent moments we’ll look back on. Genuine care & advocacy. The reality is, as they’re showing, we all suffer at times- this is a #5in5 topic, & the only way that msg gets thru is by working TOGETHER.
To cap off this immense progress (for now), Robin, yesterday, received a 5-yr commitment on a contract extension from the Golden Knights – a shining example that those w MH challenges can rise above & are worth every bit of the investments that’ve been given for decades to those w physical health challenges. Big progress!