Hey everyone, it’s Brianna from the Sac BHC Youth Media team. I am very excited to share with you all the discussion I had with former NFL player, and also president and founder of Beyond the Locker, Tony Stewart. Tony is a very respectful, down-to-earth man. He was open to all the questions we asked and was very honest with his answers. He gave us inspirational advice from his heart to help those dealing with mental health issues.From my perspective, Tony’s words have inspired me to help those in my community.
When Tony spoke about how he became the person he is today, it helped me on my journey and the struggles I am currently going through. Knowing that such an influential individual such as Tony had gone through struggles himself on his journey to success has given me hope that I too can make an impact on my community as well.
During the interview, we discussed issues based around mental health and his views on this topic. Tony shared with us his experiences with mental health and what he believes needs to change in society regarding mental health. As a professional athlete, he shared with us what role sports play in mental health. Tony shared with us the pressure on the field and how it affects the players. Because of these experiences, Tony gave us his insight on how to prevent mental illness in athletics.
Tony has reminded us that being positive and helping others through hard times can make all the difference in the world. He believes that getting the conversation on mental health started and to not be afraid to talk about it is the best solution to breaking down the stigma of mental health. “Getting people to feel comfortable to talk about mental health is a huge step and a conversation that needs to be had”, says Tony. Tony emphasizes that knowing you’re not alone and there are people out there that care and want to help will help anyone going through mental health issues. Together we can make the change.
