Clara Hughes stops in Merritt to share her story about battling depression. She traveled from Merritt to Kelowna May 21, 2014.
Image Credit: Twitter: @clarahughes
May 22, 2014 - 9:06 AM
KELOWNA - So far Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes has traveled 5819 kilometres across Canada to talk about breaking the stigma of mental illness — and her next stop is Kelowna.
Hughes has six Olympic medals in cycling and speed skating, but in the middle of earning them she battled depression, once spending two solid years submerged in it before turning to professionals and bolstering her world with a caring support network to help regain balance. She sought personal power in her gifts — a dynamic personality and ability to pour her entire being into her goals — to achieve success. And that success allowed her to return to racing for the 2006 and 2010 winter Olympics to become the first Canadian to win both summer and winter medals.
A welcome event for Hughes for the Clara's Big Ride tour takes place at Canadian Tire, 1655 Leckie Road, Kelowna at 3:15 p.m. May 21, and runs until 5 p.m., though the athlete won't appear in town until later in the day. She'll be at Bottega Farm Inn, 4485 Sallows Rd., Kelowna from 7-9 p.m. for her Women and Wellness speaking engagement.
On May 22, Hughes will continue south to the Sonora Community Centre, 8505 68 Ave. in Osoyoos, arriving at 5:30 p.m. to talk about mental health services in the community. The talk continues until 8:30 p.m.
Clara's Big Ride started in Toronto, Ont. March 14, 2014. Her first stretch was an 80 km jaunt to Hamilton. From Ontario she headed east to Quebec and the Atlantic provinces before spiking north into the territories. She was in the Yukon before riding south into B.C. After B.C. she points east once more to complete her ride through the provinces to the finish line at the parliament buildings in Ottawa, July 1. She'll cover 12,000 km in 110 days visiting 95 communities along the way.
Clara Hughes, far left, travels from Vancouver to Hope during her Clara's Big Ride tour across Canada.
Image Credit: Twitter: @clarahughes
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014