Sheldon Kennedy – and his powerful speech – was the featured attraction of an event hosted by CMHA Kenora for Mental Health Week.
Kennedy, a national child advocate, spoke about “Overcoming Personal Trauma to Influence Positive Social Change” on May 5. The 45-minute presentation was followed by a question-and-answer segment with the audience.
Kennedy was sexually abused by his former coach while playing junior hockey in Swift Current, Sask., in the late 1980s. He went on to play 310 NHL games with Detroit, Calgary and Boston, but lived with mental health issues for years and struggled through thoughts of suicide.
Since retiring from professional hockey, Kennedy has gone on to become a major voice in Canada for victims of abuse. He is the lead director at the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, which offers services for victims of child abuse. He is also the co-founder of Respect Group, which provides empowering online education to sport organizations, schools and workplaces about abuse, bullying and harassment prevention.
Kennedy was named to the Order of Canada in December 2014 for “his courageous leadership in raising awareness of childhood sexual abuse and his continued efforts to prevent abuse in schools, sports and communities.”