A mixed martial arts athlete will be coming to Espanola to talk to schools and the public, as well as take part in a mental health walk.
Invited to Espanola by former MMA promoter Pete Rodley, Jonathan Goulet has a positive message to share when it comes to mental health.
He admits after retirement, he fell into a deep depression and chose to embrace nature as a source of well-being.
He says flushing out mental illness is more than just asking a question.
He says it is digging deep to find out how a person is doing themselves, not their family, their job, their friends, themselves as individuals.
Over the last two years, it is well documented that mental health has become a great concern for people of all backgrounds. Seeing this gave Goulet the inspiration to share his story and help as many people as possible through his foundation called THE WARRIOR PATH.
During the winter of 2020 he documented a lengthy adventure in the name of mental health awareness and the positive effects of time outdoors and physical activity.
“I am looking forward to awaken the warrior you have inside you and meeting all of you in the Espanola/Manitoulin area” states an excited Goulet.
Rodley, owner of Homestyle Foods, has been a colleague and friend of Goulet for over 20 years. Rodley has also been very vocal on how his time in the forest hiking, swimming, rowing and discovering our area’s amazing trails has done great things to help him along in overcoming the challenges he has faced during these pandemic times.
So it only made sense that the pair put their heads together to give back to the community with an opportunity to join Goulet on a hike, hear his story, ask questions, and share their challenges. Everyone should understand that it is okay to communicate if you’re feeling down and it’s even better to grapple those feelings with physical exertion and absorbing the healing properties of Mother Nature.
You can lend your support to battling mental illness with the Road Warrior on December 10 at 10am by taking part in the walk, which starts at the Espanola Recreational Complex parking lot and proceeds to Boogie Mountain.
Once there, the public will hear Goulet’s story, have the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences and enjoy refreshments.
From there, participants can take part in a hike on the property.
While this is an outdoor event, we still do encourage social distancing and being responsible for public safety.
For more information, visit the event Facebook Page BATTLE MENTAL ILLNESS WITH THE ROAD WARRIOR or email Rodley at [email protected]