Mom and I take a drive to discuss mental health in Dryden as we take a crack at what appears to be my first ever podcast! We dive into how mental health affects everyone to some degreee as we embark on this learning experience that is us openly discussing these issues ON CAMERA. A learning experience and journey we're both excited to show you all. We continue to learn more and more every time we speak like this and in playing this back we realise how much we cut each other off, and maybe how we can both be better listeners. ALSO, something we also learned was that some of our terminology was misused. Throughout the video mom refers to: people you trust, who are in your circle, or the people you confide in as what she continually throughout the video as "primary attachments". The term "primary attachment" (via simple google fact check) defines as... "The bond formed with the person most involved in rapidly responding to a baby's cries and who initiates social play during the first seven months of a baby's life." ....Which makes sense given her role as a mom as she mentions she learned it when my brothers and I were very young. A drive with one of the most influential and closest people in my life. A voice and person I love and trust. Learning every day we are... now go have a listen!!!

What an awesome chance to sit down with @derekmathers29 : an ex professional hockey player specialising in toughness, and friend currently taking a different approach specialising in the exact same thing. To me: he’s tougher than ever before, and I applaud him for his willingness to share stories that we both hope can put a light spin, on some tough topics. Proud of the guy, and proud to bring this to you.

"Athletes are people." An amazing discussion with former professional figure skater: Taylor Steele. We compare notes on what the last year has looked like for the both of us. Like many, both our lives saw a turn that stripped us of our lives work and the ability to live our childhood dreams. By pivoting, adapting, and growing: we both come to realizations that help us strive to be grateful every single day. While our stories are so alike, we quickly realized that our stories align not just with the athlete, but with most.

Today I speak with Chris Burns. Chris' story takes so many twists and turns that it's much more of a Netflix series than a simple story. An NCAA Collegiate Athlete with a bright career playing hockey, until the unthinkable... His story of adversity is one that he gets to share with all of us today and I thank him for joining me in this episode.

This video is a little different than the rest! Abby Bennett is a councillor for the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub and reached out to see if we could speak. Abby is an old friend from my days in Kenora and it was awesome to catch up both on and off the record.  We tried to keep it quick and to the point as she takes lead. All things said, regardless of what organization is being promoted: the messages are the same.  You are not alone, don't suffer in silence, speak your truth.

AWESOME to sit down with an old teammate and friend Jordan Davidson. Jordan quickly reached out after seeing the first few videos and within days we hopped on a call! His background in competitive fitness, personal training, and love for the gym: offers insight and encouragement to get moving for the benefit of both mental and physical health! -AAA days  -Junior hockey -Hanging them up -Health and fitness -Mental health AND MORE  Thanks Jord! Always a pleasure!

Next up is Ashley Apland, Clinical Manager at Firefly, who joins to discuss: mental health, Firefly Services FREE OF CHARGE for ages 0-18, and much much more. Thank you Ashley

Thank you so much to Jamie Harrington for joining the show to talk mental health and share stories of his own journey. Jamie is a family friend with experiences that have led him into a career as a social worker. His understanding and compassion leave me no doubt that he is doing amazing work. I applaud him for both his courage to share his story, as well as his efforts to see that more and more people get to share stories similar to his.

After the announcement of the "Return to Play" Charity Campaign, it was not long after that Smo reached out asking if there was any way he could get involved. Within days we arranged a zoom call which we recorded for your benefit. We discuss the importance of: routine, presence, leaning on your supports, venting, taking time to yourself, and seeking help in a time of need. We talk about how we've handled covid, handled change, handled childhood bullies, and much much more. With little more than a 5 minute discussion before hitting record, we spoke openly about the topic of mental health, our experience with it, and the importance of our relationship throughout the season. We're both very excited to share this with you all and are excited to hear from you. We hope that through our conversation, we will encourage further conversation for the well being and benefit of those who listen. Thank you so much, Rainer and Smo