Ride Don’t Hide cycling fundraiser invites Peel residents to support mental health agency
Brampton Guardian
On Sunday, June 26, Clouter will join former
NHL veteran Shawn Antoski and 300 other cyclists from Peel and beyond
in Caledon as part of CMHA’s annual Ride Don’t Hide. The event takes
place at the Lloyd Wilson Centennial Arena, 5551 McLaughlin Rd.,
Inglewood at 7 p.m.
In 2011, Brampton’s Karen Clouter was
morbidly obese and weighed some 555 lbs. She experienced depression,
anxiety and low self-esteem. A gastric bypass surgery in 2012 and
adopting a healthy lifestyle resulted in the Brampton woman losing more
than 278 lbs.
Today, Clouter, a visual artist/
author/singer, is a mental health advocate supporting the Centre for
Mental Health Association (CMHA) Peel.
“In the time when I was obese, I really
struggled,” she shared. “Now, I am healthier and I have a life. Before, I
hid my depression in my body. I find many people struggle with mental
health and may not be aware, CMHA Peel is such a fantastic organization
that opens its arms and hearts to everyone. Their programs are so vital
to the community.”
On Sunday, June 26, Clouter will join former
NHL veteran Shawn Antoski and 300 other cyclists from Peel and beyond
in Caledon as part of CMHA’s annual Ride Don’t Hide. The event takes
place at the Lloyd Wilson Centennial Arena, 5551 McLaughlin Rd.,
Inglewood at 7 p.m.
Cyclists will tackle four picturesque routes
in Caledon as part of the 100-kilometre ride. There are shorter routes
of 50, 25, 20 and 5K and mini-rides for families.
Antoski, who played pro-hockey for eight
years before a horrific car crash ended his career, will speak to the
cyclists about experiencing – and surviving – depression.
“I battled depression that was brought on by
different factors, one of which was my pro-hockey career,” said
Antoski. “It finally caught up with me. I lived with physical pain
daily. I had this ‘Superman’ label where people began saying there was
nothing that could keep me down and that I could overcome anything. The
things that I endured were things that caught up post-career.”
His mental health problems escalated when
some people accused him of faking his injuries to seek attention. He
shut down and completely withdrew.
Antoski founded Fear Nothing, a foundation
to help not just individuals experiencing mental illness, but to include
people that are part of their support system.
“I want to tell people that are around those
struggling with mental health that you can’t just stand there and
watch, you’ve talk about these things,” he said. “It affects everybody.
Fear Nothing was created so as to have an understanding from every
perspective. I want to tell people there’s hope and not to give up…”
"We have a long way to go before people
experiencing a mental illness are as accepted in society as those with a
physical illness," said CMHA Peel CEO David Smith.
“We’re seeing a difference in attitudes as
more people join the Ride Don’t Hide movement to end stigma in their
community each year,” he said. “Ride Don’t Hide is a great opportunity
for the community to come together and say mental health is important to
me, and it’s ok to talk about it.”
CMHA Peel’s goal is to raise $70,000 for
local mental health programs initiatives. For more information visit here or call 905-451 2123.
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