Olympian success, Olympic-sized struggles

The 2016 St. Albert Readers Festival literally has a whole litter full of literary leviathans on its list of events. That, my friends, is not litotic in the least.

Among the 11 authors on the slate to make appearances are such giants as Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Camilla Gibb, Michael Redhill (a.k.a. Inger Ash Wolfe) and Ian Brown, who will kick things off on Wednesday, Oct. 12. But there's one person set to be the focus of a gala event all her own and she didn't make her name or her fame through writing, at least not initially.

Clara Hughes is a six-time Olympic champion and the only athlete who has ever won more than one medal at both the summer and winter games. Being one of the world's best speed skaters and cyclists means that she has spent a lot of her life focused on training her body to excel in sport.

But that doesn't mean that she wasn't immune to the stresses and turmoils of being human. She struggled with depression like so many people who aren't high profile athletes. The Winnipeg native fought the dark clouds of depression by herself until a mental health professional intervened and helped her to turn her psychological life around. She wrote about these experiences – and used them to inspirational effect – in her memoir entitled Open Heart, Open Mind.

Now, Hughes will bring her book to St. Albert. She will offer her thoughts on getting past the pain and the importance of taking care of yourself and your loved ones to an audience at the Arden Theatre next Friday. It is sponsored by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and proceeds from the event will go to support local mental health initiatives.

But first, she spoke to the Gazette to give a preview of her talk.

The first impression one gets is how grounded she is, despite what must be a hectic schedule. She had only just returned to Canada from the Middle East where she was involved in the non-governmental organization called Right to Play International, a group that promotes sport as a way of bringing communities together in activity and in peace.

"Being nomadic has become a routine," the affable Hughes began, laughing all the way. "I'm very used to uncomfortableness. I live out of a suitcase well."

So much travel affords her the opportunity to speak with more and more people that perhaps haven't read her book or heard her story. Depression is something that simply must be talked about. Living under the Olympic credo of 'faster, higher, stronger' meant that she became familiar with the pressure to succeed on a daily basis, especially since she only got to prove her excellence every four years.

"I came to learn in sport the opportunity and the power of sharing the joy of succeeding, of following your dreams, of being an athlete … but it's so much more than that. As human beings, the most important thing we can do is realize that so much of life is a struggle. When you can learn to share that struggle, that real human struggle, you let other people know that they're not alone. Mental illness is something that affects every single Canadian. If it's not you, it's someone you know or love or care about. It's something that we don't talk about enough."

Talking, she continued, is one of the big keys.

In her book she writes about how she learned that winning isn't everything. In fact, she had to hit a personal low before she could realize that lesson. She hit that low hard too, but never talked about it until she found herself crying in an airport and the Canadian Olympic team doctor approached her about it.

"It's one thing to connect through success and joy, but it is a whole other level of human connection. I think it's a deeper level of connection when you talk about things that nobody wants to talk about."

That was 20 years ago. Talking to Hughes today, one might never know the metaphorical gorilla that she used to have on her back. She is full of energy and good humour, and she is totally open with things that bother her.

It all just goes toward proving her point: if you don't talk about it, people might never know what's bothering you.

"When that silence is ended, you learn how to share your story and you learn how to listen. That's been the greatest gift for me: learning to listen and open my heart and let someone know that their voice has been heard."

She encouraged everybody to open up and express their inner struggles to someone who is close or even someone on a help hotline. Doing so could make a world of difference, or at least be the first step on that road.

And if all of that talk doesn't impress the crowds, she also promised to bring her "Olympic bling" to show off. She made sure to note that she is a strategic packer so the extra weight in her luggage wouldn't preclude her being able to catch her flight here.

Big talk

Perhaps Hughes' emphasis on communication has become even more prominent through her involvement as the national spokesperson for the Let's Talk Mental Health initiative, including Let's Talk Day, an annual event that occurs in January.

Its website, found at letstalk.bell.ca, includes details of a new online screening test for depression that has just been made available. Considering that this is Mental Illness Awareness Week, it just might be the first step that some people need to take. You can access the test by visiting www.calgarycounselling.com.

Nicole Imgrund, counsellor with event collaborator Rivers Edge Counselling Centre, praised Hughes for her candour and her willingness to travel the country to talk and to help open up people who might be suffering with their own mental illness in silence.

"Clara Hughes is the perfect person to help dispel myths about mental illness and end the stigma," she began. "She has achieved such incredible accomplishments in her life, but she has also had to overcome great obstacles to do so, including depression."

"Clara's gift to us in her openness and vulnerability in sharing her story. It reminds us that we are all susceptible to mental health challenges … but also that we can all find a hopeful, healing path forward. I know her story will inspire others to be open about their own mental health challenges, so that they can find the support and help they need."

Imgrund concluded by suggesting supporting local mental health initiatives has never been more important than now.