Larry Cain on TSN’s "Off The Record" for Mental Health Awareness

This item is copied from the St. Mildred's - Lightbourn School blog.
Posted on January 24, 2014 by Vicky DiMichele

This past Thursday, our very own Larry Cain , SMLS Phys. Ed. Teacher, sprint canoer, and Olympic gold medalist, and fellow Olympian Adam van Koeverden, were interviewed at SMLS for TSN’s Off the Record special on suicide awareness.

 

The segment will air at 5:00 p.m. EST on January 28th, which is  Bell’s Let’s Talk Day.  It was quite neat seeing our greenroom turned into a TV studio, and meeting the wonderful people from TSN!

January 23rd marked the anniversary of the passing of their close friend and paddling mentor, Olympic athlete John Wood. John lived with depression, and lost his battle to the mental illness in 2013.

The interview was no doubt a very emotional one for Larry and Adam.  It was probably, at the same time, a good feeling to be involved in such an important PSA about mental illness.

Of course I had never met John, but Larry shared a lot about him, and I had the pleasure of watching a short (under 20 min.) movie featuring John.

The video was created by Wolf Ruck, who was also at the taping on Thursday.  Check out  “Paddles Up”.

Mental health still carries a stigma.  It shouldn’t.  You would never look down upon someone with a visible ailment – a broken arm, for example.  Then why do so many people feel free to judge those who suffer from anxiety, phobias, eating disorders or addiction.  Because they are “invisible”?

Help stop the stigma.  We can all participate in Bell’s Let’s Talk Day and join in the fight.

Read more about how you can get involved on their website, and be sure to watch TSN’s Off the Record on Tuesday.