Mike's story: Breaking down mental health stigma
Chicago Ambassador Mike Fierke
Like so many others, I started participating in Movember as an excuse to grow a moustache and give back to a good cause. While utilizing the Movember online portal in my first year, I began to learn more about the organisation and the great causes it supports: mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Shortly after my first year as a Mo Bro, my life turned upside down. My marriage fell apart and I went through a divorce, all of which led to me feel depressed. I was going through one of the most difficult periods in my life. It was my participation in Movember and relationship with the organisation that gave me the courage to seek help from a mental health professional, which has positively impacted my life forever.
As a result of my personal experience, the part of Movember that I’m most passionate about is helping to break down the stigma around mental health issues and encouraging people to get the help they need. I want people to know that they aren’t alone: I’m here to help, Movember is here to help – we are all in this together.
My other great passion is disc golf, which works perfectly when it comes to Hosting a Mo-ment in Movember. It’s a fantastic way to bring people together and raise funds – in fact, for the past five years I’ve held an annual disc golf tournament fundraiser that’s open to all genders, ages and skill levels and it’s always a great success. Luckily, disc golf is a sport that lends itself naturally to social distancing and being outdoors, which is ideal for Movember 2020.
Given the current state of the world, it’s an especially pertinent time to be encouraging people to seek help if they’re struggling with their mental health, and I look forward to getting together with my disc golf community in the name of men’s health.
