HOUSE OF COMMONS / CHAMBRE DES

COMMUNES

Clara Hughes: Opening Hearts,

Opening Minds A discourse on how one woman has affected the way Canadians

think about mental health disorders

Sara Carleton

7/10/2014

Final report submission for the Centennial Flame Research Award.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Mental Health

What is a Mental Health Disability? 3

Facts About Mental Health in Canada 5

Stigma and Mental Health 6

Clara’s History

Early Years Through the “Terrible Teens” 9

The Moment Everything Changed 11

Clara and Sport 12

Hitting the Wall of Depression 15

Getting Help 17

Giving Back

A Role Model for Canadians 19

Spokesperson for Mental Health 21

Clara’s Big Ride 23

General Spokesperson Roles 26

Honours 28

Clara’s Effect on Parliament 30

Conclusion 32

Appendix: List of Achievements and Awards 33

Bibliography 36

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Introduction

Clara Hughes has a mane of carrot-coloured hair, a smile as big as Canada, and a heart to

match. She is an international sports star, winning 6 Olympic medals in 2 sports over 6

Olympics, not to mention the dozens of other national and international podium spots garnered

over a 25 year career.

But you can’t talk about Clara and sport without also talking about Clara and mental health,

because behind that infectious smile and award resume that leaves the rest of the sport world

gasping lies a deep, dark struggle with mental illness. Her amazing accomplishments in sport

happened despite a depressive disorder that ground her career – and the rest of her life – almost

to a complete standstill for two years.

Clara’s life is comprised of opposites: difficult child vs. successful adult; summer sport vs.

winter sport; fierce competitor vs. empathic helper. Yet through it all her determination and

compassion are constant, binding threads.

This report is a chronicle of Clara’s passion, struggle, and triumph.

Author’s note: As much as possible, I have had Clara tell her own story. Woven into this report

is the integration of information from interviews Clara has given over the past 5 years with many

interviewers, including myself. So this is not just about Clara and her struggles and triumphs, it

is also as much as possible by Clara – her words, her story, and her perspective are here for you.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes are Clara’s own words.

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What Is A Mental Health Disability?

Before talking about Clara Hughes and her contributions to the collective Canadian awareness

of mental health issues in our country, we need to take a moment to talk about mental health –

what is considered a mental health disorder, and why it is so important that Canadians know and

talk about it.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health defines mental illness as “changes in a person’s

thinking, mood and behaviour that cause a lot of distress and make it difficult to do daily tasks.” (CAMH,

Introduction)

So far, no one knows for sure what causes mental illness, although most studies suggest that a

combination of factors such as genetics, environmental factors, personal experiences, and

physical conditions determine the onset, severity and recovery of most mental health problems.

But whatever the cause or the type of illness, a person’s mental health problems are not his or her

fault. (CAMH, Introduction)

There is no physical characteristic that marks someone as having a mental disorder. Mental

illness is invisible. And because of this, many mental health disabilities are harder to

acknowledge because there’s nothing to see or test or measure. The pain, frustration, confusion,

and fear lie deep within and it is difficult to quantify the experience or the suffering externally.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th

Edition (DSM5) published

by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), there are over 20 different categories of mental

health disorders, including:

schizophrenia spectrum disorders

bipolar disorders

depressive and anxiety disorders

obsessive-compulsive disorders

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trauma-related disorders (including PTSD)

dissociative and personality disorders

somatic symptom disorders

eating and elimination disorders

sleep-wake disorders

sexual dysfunctions, gender dysphoria and paraphilic disorders

disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders

substance-related and addictive disorders

neuro-cognitive disorders

(1-8)

Each disorder can run the gamut from mild to severe symptoms depending on the individual.

Many are life-long illnesses that require continuing treatment. While they range in symptoms

and severity, there is one thing that all mental health disorders have in common – they can be

treated. Unfortunately, not everyone with a mental health disorder seeks help. And even those

who do, do not get the help they need.

A 2012 study done on the perceived need for mental health care in Canada found that over

17% of the population reported needing mental health care, but 33% of those people had their

need unmet or only partially met (Sunderland 3). Translated into real people, that means that in

one year almost 6 million Canadians needed help, and 2 million of those people didn’t get the

help they needed.

While Clara talks about her own story, which focuses on depression, she is clear that her

desire is to open up the conversation and reduce stigma around all types of mental illness.

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Facts About Mental Health in Canada

According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders:

o make up 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide.

o account for about 12% of worldwide disease, yet the mental health budgets of

most countries make up less than one per cent of their total health expenditures.

(CAMH, Introduction)

1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in his or her lifetime (Let’s Talk). It is a

guarantee that someone you know is suffering with a mental health disorder.

Mental health problems affect people of all ages, education and income levels, jobs,

religions, and cultures. (CAMH, Stigma Tutorial)

Mental health problems and illnesses account for more than $50 billion in lost

productivity costs due to absenteeism and presenteeism. (“Facts”)

4 out of 5 children in Canada who need mental health services do not receive them. (Let’s

Talk)

3.2 million Canadian youth between the ages of 12 to 19 are at risk for developing

depression every year. (Let’s Talk)

Mental health disorders in youth are ranked as the second highest hospital care

expenditure in Canada (surpassed only by injuries). (Let’s Talk)

Once depression is recognized, help can make a difference for 80% of people who are

affected, allowing them to get back to their regular activities. (“Depression in”)

Improved access to peer support, housing, and community-based services can improve

quality of life and help to keep people living with mental health problems and illnesses

out of hospitals and out of the criminal justice system. (“Facts”)

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Stigma and Mental Health

At least 1 in 5 Canadians will have a mental illness. And of those, almost 70% of them will

suffer in silence, fearing judgment and rejection (“Let’s End”). In the website introduction for

the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, it states:

Fear and misunderstanding have caused a strong stigma about mental illness. Stigma can lead to

people being shamed, shunned, blamed and even physically harmed just because they have a

mental illness.

Stigma adds to the suffering caused by mental health problems. It also stops many people with

mental health problems from seeking help. (CAMH Introduction)

Stigma usually stems from ignorance, prejudice or fear (Purse). For example, when a person

tells a friend or coworker that he or she is trying to cope with depression, the response might be:

"Oh, everybody's a little depressed, why are you so special? Toughen up!" (Ignorance)

"Eeew, you're one of those types? Let me know when you get over it. Uh, I gotta go.”

(Prejudice)

"You mean you might flip out and start crying under your desk or something?" (Fear and

ignorance)

The stigma that exists in our society which prevents people from seeking treatment is a major

barrier to healing, but it can change. One of the biggest and most fundamental ways to reduce

stigma is to speak up for those who are suffering, and speak out against negative comments or

portrayals of mental illness. By talking openly and honestly about mental health, we can take

mental disorders out of the shadows caused by ignorance, fear, shame, and silence, and allow

them to become accepted as valid illnesses that require – and deserve – treatment.

…Stigma is very real and it is true for so many people that are suffering. And that’s why,

I think, maybe we don’t have programs in place as they should be to help people because

we’re not talking about it. Seeing as it is a very confusing thing to diagnose, it’s not just

something where, “You have this, now take this medication and you’ll get better.” It’s

different for every single person and there’s often a lot of emotional baggage that goes

into mental illness. …I just think that people don’t want to hear about it. Just like I

never talked about this because who wants to hear about me being depressed, there’s

enough depressing things in the world as it is. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

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I would hope we could just start seeing mental illness the same way we see physical

illness and disease. There should be compassion, understanding, and treatment. (Hughes,

“Clara Hughes at”)

The stigma surrounding mental illness is a very personal issue for Clara, and since 2010

Clara has devoted her time to a campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

I have a story to tell and a story to share, and I really, really hope that by sharing my very

small story in the whole scheme of this that I can help break down the stigma attached to

mental illness. Because the stigma is the biggest problem. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

I just want to empower Canadian youth… Help them understand what mental illness is.

What the stigma attached to it is, how ridiculous it is, how unnecessary it is, and really

firmly have them believing that they can erase stigma. That they can be the generation

that grows up and has kids and their kids don’t know a time when people were ashamed

if they were depressed or had anxiety or felt that they couldn’t get help because they

would be judged. (Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

Clara is fighting to change the image of mental illness from a ‘weakness’ to a sickness.

I think it is a perception. It’s a perception that’s based on ignorance. And I include

myself in that ignorance because when I was going through the depression I didn’t know

what was going on with me, I wasn’t educated in that field. I knew people close to me in

my life that had been struggling with different forms of mental illness, but I thought that

couldn’t happen to me. I didn’t know the statistic of 1 in 5 Canadians, I didn’t know

anything about that. And the more I learned about it – and I think the more Canadians

learn about the reality of the situation – you realize, “Maybe this isn’t happening to me,

but now I’m starting to see that it’s somebody around me – my family member, my

friend, my co-worker is.” Or they could realize, “This could happen to me…and what if

it does? What am I going to do if the help is not there?” (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

Because Clara is speaking out about her struggles with mental illness, she is empowering

other Canadians to do the same.

I think [my story] does have an impact because I have a voice because of what I’ve done.

And I’m able to use that voice by sharing my story. If someone thinks I’m weak or

pathetic or thinks I should be ashamed…I don’t care. It’s like me going and racing – if I

don’t win the Olympics and I’ve given everything I have it doesn’t matter to me. That is

my best and that’s all I ever try to give and do. And there’s no difference with this.

(Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

While the stigma associated with having a mental health disorder runs deep in Canada, Clara

has noticed that perceptions are starting to change.

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…people didn't have anyone to talk to. They were afraid. I've met so many people who

said they were afraid they’d lose their job if they said anything. But now I'm starting to

meet people who have actually spoken out or reached out for help, or helped someone

around them. And 99% of the time, what they say is, “I had no idea someone was there to

help me,” or “I had no idea I could get better,” or “I had no idea these programs existed.”

As we open this dialogue and start normalizing mental illness in Canada as a treatable

form of disease, I think people will be amazed how quickly these perceptions will

change. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes at”)

And members of the mental health care profession are noticing how Clara is affecting how

people see mental illness.

Dr. Raj Baklav: What stigma does is it takes away from someone’s understanding that

mental illness is quite common and that people suffering from symptoms are not alone.

So when you get people talking more about mental illness, understanding it’s common,

understanding there’s treatments…they will be more prone to come forward and get some

help. So getting someone like Clara Hughes talking about how she suffered from

depression and how common it is is extremely important. (Let’s Talk)

Many people want to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues but are not

sure how. Here are some suggestions:

Talk openly and honestly about mental health.

Learn the facts about mental health and mental illness, and share what you learn.

See the whole person, not just his or her mental health problem, and act with compassion.

Challenge stigma when you see it, whether in the workplace, media, or among your

friends and peers.

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Early Years Through the “Terrible Teens”

Clara was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on September 27, 1972. Her mother was from

Montreal and her father was a British citizen. The family – Clara, her parents, and her sister

Dodie – lived in the Elmwood area of the city and seemed just like all the rest of the families on

the block. But Clara’s father was struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, which took

its toll on the rest of the family.

Clara’s parents divorced when Clara was 9. Affected by this critical event in her young life,

Clara began to act out.

I grew up in a dysfunctional family, to put it mildly. I grew up with an alcoholic father

who was an undiagnosed bipolar, who’s an artist, who’s a writer, who’s a brilliant mind.

An amazing man, but it was hard growing up in that household. (Kennedy)

As a young person I carried a lot of guilt. I remember being a little girl and listening to

some arguments and I remember quite vividly thinking it was my fault. And I felt like I

couldn’t fix that situation. (Darkness)

My parents split up when I was nine, and my mom raised my sister and me alone. We

were wild animals, untamed. (Munday, “Q & A”)

My mom did the best she could with my sister and I, but we basically went wild after my

parents separated. (Starkman)

By the time Clara was in high school, she was in a downward spiral of wild parties, alcohol,

and drugs.

As a kid from Elmwood, East Kildonan in Winnipeg I did what a lot of my friends did,

which was a lot of drugs, a lot of drinking. I started smoking in grade 3 but picked it up

full-on in grade 6 and was smoking a pack a day by the time I was in grade 7. (Kennedy,

“Clara’s”)

I wasn't into really hard drugs, but I was doing a fair amount of soft drugs and just

partying a lot. I would run away from home for the weekend. I just wouldn't come home.

My mom would be so worried about me. …When I see kids that are like that now, I

think, “You don't know where this can lead you. You're just wasting your life.” I was

wasting my life. I'm not proud of who I was. But at the time, I didn't care about anything.

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I think I didn't have a value system because I came from a dysfunctional family.

(Starkman)

By the time I was 16 years old I wasn’t even going to school anymore. You see, I always

had all of the qualities we talk about what makes a champion – the tenacity, the

abundance of energy, the focus and determination. I always had these things, I just didn’t

know. And much to my mother’s horror, I channeled them into these delinquent places.

I always had teachers telling me, “If only you could find something to focus on and

channel this energy, you could do anything!” But I was making all the wrong choices.

We talk about leadership in business, I had all the qualities of leadership that I was able

to channel into sport when I found it. But as a young person I channeled those leadership

qualities into organization of parties in downtown stairwells in Winnipeg and back alley

street parties and things like that. All sorts of trouble. (Hughes, Speakers’)

After a pivotal, life-changing moment when she was 16, Clara transformed. She found

meaning and purpose in sport, and went from failing school to getting straight A’s. She

graduated from Elmwood High School in 1990.

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The Moment Everything Changed

It is not normal nor often that a person can point to the exact moment that his or her life

changed forever. But for Clara Hughes, that is precisely what happened. In the midst of the

partying, smoking, drinking, and drugs, Clara had an epiphany.

I was 16 years old, getting into all that trouble that I just talked about, sitting in my

mom’s living room in Winnipeg, flipping through the channels, planning what party I

was going to go to that night with my friends and what kind of trouble we were going to

get into. And… the tv came upon this movement, this motion, these athletes gliding on

ice. I had been a hockey player, but I had never seen long-track speed skating. And

when I saw it that day I stopped flipping through those channels and I watched and I

learned and I listened to not just the stories of the athletes and that beautiful movement I

was watching and so captivated by. But I learned about a great man, a man who was a

defending Olympic champion. This guy from Quebec who skated circles for Canada, and

his name was Gaetan Boucher. I learned about the Olympic movement and how almost

100 years ago, … countries had this idea of the modern Olympics – countries laying

down their arms and fighting it out on the equal battlefields of sport and play. And I just

thought, “This Olympic thing is awesome!” I’d grown up doing community sports so

being from inner-city Winnipeg, the Olympics were not on my radar. But the more I

learned and the more I watched when Gaetan finally got to the line I learned that he

wasn’t actually at his best and he had no chance to win. But what Gaetan did that day is

the moment he got to the starting line with the maple leaf on his back he became larger

than life. I saw this fire and determination in his eyes that I had never seen before from

anybody. I sat at the edge of my seat and watched him start his race and go at a world

record pace and then blow up spectacularly, barely finishing in the top 10. I watched

Gaetan fail miserably as the announcers and commentators said, but I watched a man

who gave himself to something, and that desire and that commitment and that want I saw

in him is what changed my life. I saw Gaetan do that and I knew I wanted the same for

me. I knew I wanted one day to skate for Canada. I not only knew I was going to do it

but I knew I had to do it. And that day my life changed. (Hughes, Speakers’)

Clara told her mom she wanted to be a skater, and she immediately signed her up for lessons.

I was 16. This looked so cool, gliding around the ice and going really fast. Somehow I

knew right away that I wanted to do that. My mother called the local club in Winnipeg

and within a couple of days I started turning my life around. (“Healthy Choices: Gold”)

By the time she was 18, Clara was a professional athlete and she thought her life course was

set. Little did she know just how much that moment of watching the Olympics would have such

a profound effect on her, and on all of Canada.

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Clara and Sport

Most people that know me outside of sport, particularly people I train with or work with

in sport, most people think, “Clara’s so nice. She’s always smiling and she’s so sweet.”

Some people even ask my husband, “Wow, Clara’s not really that competitive. How is

she an athlete?” And he always laughs and he’s like “C’mon, you don’t know my wife!”

I am a fierce competitor and when it’s game on…it’s game on! I love a challenge. I love

to try to win something. I love to be out and just die trying. If I’m going to fail I’m

going to die trying. And I’m never one to shy away from a challenge either. (Hughes,

“Interview with Clara Hughes” Walter)

Clara began serious training on the ice immediately after she saw Gaetan Boucher skate at the

’88 Olympics. And it didn’t take her long to start competing. In 1989, she was a silver medalist

in the speed skating National Championships. During the skating off-season Clara decided that

cycling might help her keep in better shape and began that sport as well. It wasn't long before

she was recognized for her cycling talent and she switched from skating to cycling as her major

endeavour (“Clara Hughes Biography”). In 1990 Clara won 8 medals cycling in the Western

Canada Games and National Championships – 7 gold and 1 silver. Over the next 5 years her

meteoric rise in the competitive cycling world continued, with medal placing in the Pan

American Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Tour de France.

I always keep my senses open to what’s going on around me. When I was speed skating,

I had this awareness that this beautiful movement was happening through me, a sense of

wonder, almost. On the bike, it’s definitely an attachment to nature. … There’s so many

places where I’ll pre-ride ride a time-trial course and I’ll see there are lilacs in bloom on

that hill. And when I’m racing, I’ll be, “There are those lilacs!” It passes through my

consciousness, it’s a connection to the landscape. (Gordon)

At her first Olympics in 1996, Clara wasn’t expected to medal, but her stubborn tenacity won

her two bronze medals in cycling. After the Olympics, though, Clara struggled with depression

for the next several years, and she had to let go of most of her competition opportunities. Despite

her struggles, however, she was still the overall winner at the Tour of Texas (1997) and the Sea

Otter Classic (1998).

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Rising from the ashes of her depression was difficult for Clara, and there was more hardship

to come. Illness and injury plagued Clara for the next few years, limiting her ability to compete

as a cyclist. But she was committed to her training and her belief that there was more in her to

do.

After cycling almost exclusively for a decade, Clara returned to the ice in 2002, winning a

bronze medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics. For the next two years Clara competed in both

cycling and skating before switching back to her first love of skating in 2004. That renewed

focus led to her fourth and fifth Olympic medals, this time silver and gold, at the Torino Games.

My life really hasn’t changed that much since winning the Olympics in 2006. I feel like

I’m a person that lives in the moment and lives for the day that I’m living. I feel that

every day is new and I don’t really think about the past, I don’t think about what I’ve

done as an athlete or what I’ve done in my life. I just try to be a better person and to live

with joy and to follow my bliss in my life every day. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes –

Summer”)

After her spectacular showing at the 2006 Olympics, Clara continued to develop her skating,

winning silver in the 2008 and 2009 World Championships before her final return to Olympic ice

in 2010, where she hung on for a 3rd

place finish. Clara often calls her bronze medal in

Vancouver her “favourite of them all” (“Clara Hughes Olympic”).

That final medal in 2010, followed by her advocacy for several national and international

support groups like Right To Play and Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign established Clara as a

household name in Canada. After the Olympics, she spent a great deal of time travelling for

public speaking engagements around the world. The end of the winter Olympics in Vancouver

was also the end of Clara’s competitive speed skating career. After 2010 she hung up her skates

and went back to cycling. In 2011 she medaled in 7 different international events, winning 4.

I've been thinking about it [returning to cycling] for a long time, because there are lots of

considerations. It means nothing less than committing your life to sport. I can't compare

myself to ten years ago, I've matured so much since then. But I knew that I would have to

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make major changes to my life.

After Vancouver it was pretty chaotic; for three months I didn't see my husband! I was

pulled in so many directions, with the media and my charity work. So, I have put all that

on the shelf, because I have to live a certain lifestyle [to be an athlete], it's mostly an

emotional commitment and I have to focus my energy. It takes a lot of discipline to say

no.

…But I look at it as ... “Wow, I have a chance to apply myself to this; what a gift!”

(Hughes, “Interview: Clara”)

Her final Olympics was the summer of 2012, where she hoped to win her seventh medal.

Many were questioning if she would make it to the Olympics at all, since she had been in a

terrible crash just two months before the competition, fracturing one of her vertebrae. But with

the attitude of “never give up” Clara trained despite her broken back and made it to London to

represent Canada one last time (Sager). Although she was at or near the front of the pack for the

majority of the road race through London, she wasn’t able to place in the top spots and in the end

finished 32nd

. But, with her positive life view firmly in place her response to her last Olympic

race was, “It was epic. It was awesome!” (Davidson).

While Clara no longer competes, athletics is still a very important part of her life and she’s

not taking it easy. From March 14th

to July 1st, Clara cycled on Clara’s Big Ride, an epic 110-

day, 12,000km ride around Canada to promote a conversation and reduce the stigma surrounding

mental health.

Now that Clara’s Big Ride is completed, Clara is planning to take a break. But don’t expect

her to fade quietly from the athletic arena. With Clara, there’s always more.

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Hitting the Wall of Depression

One of the early highlights of Clara’s athletic career was her double bronze medal success at

the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. After obsessively training for so many years, the “high” of

winning and being on the world stage was a heady experience for the 24 year old.

…I truly experienced magic in Atlanta. I went to my first Olympics and won two bronze

medals. I felt like I had an entire nation inside of me and it gave me strength and it gave

me motivation and inspiration that I never felt. Everyone was saying, “I saw you on the

podium! It was such a beautiful moment. Thank you for sharing that with me, with us.”

(Darkness)

That euphoria didn’t last, however.

I went from that to my off-season of just sitting at home and wondering, “Ok, well I’m

still the same person but I can’t get off the couch. What is wrong with me?” I just felt

like there was something wrong with me, that I just felt like…nothing. I felt that

everything I had done, everything I had felt the year before at the Olympics, I felt like I

wasn’t that person. (Darkness)

I will never forget those times when I woke up crying, knowing something was wrong,

going to sleep the same way and dreading getting up the next day. (Let’s Talk)

Despite all her efforts to get back to her training regimen, Clara found herself stuck in a dark

and lonely place.

The depression I fell into, it didn’t happen overnight. I just isolated myself. I felt

ashamed of how I looked, who I was. And it was easier not to be around people. I was

really afraid and really alone. (Darkness)

It just felt like a despair that was inescapable. I could not get away from myself. I was

me, dealing with these emotions of helplessness, and feeling like nothing I could do was

right, and everything I did was wrong, and I was never going to feel better, and it was

only going to get worse and worse, and I didn’t know where it was going to go. It was

terrifying. (Hughes, “Full”)

It was a time of great confusion and despair and something that happened over a period

of months, that darkness that I slipped down into. I didn’t know what was wrong with

me, I didn’t know how I could get better, I didn’t feel I could talk to anybody it and I

spent a lot of time alone thinking I needed to fix myself. All of I could think of was that I

was weak and that there was something wrong with me because I just couldn’t feel better.

And I felt like it was my responsibility to make myself better. As an athlete I was used to

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being in control of everything, and being able to output what I needed to output, what

was on my training program to “follow the program, follow the plan” and never stray

from it. And then I found myself unable to get out of my own way – I was sleeping all

the time and putting on weight. As an athlete, people say, “Oh come on, you’re a

machine,” and I put on 15, 18 pounds and I felt ashamed of how I looked and how I felt

and I didn’t know what was wrong with me. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

It [depression] is a situation of feeling despair and loneliness, helplessness, hopelessness,

and shame. That was my experience. (Let’s Talk)

For over a year, Clara struggled on her own to get back to her work and responsibilities, not

understanding what was happening to her.

…As an athlete I was unable to do my job. I raced for 7 weeks one year and 8 weeks the

next year and I spent the rest of the year in a state of darkness. I gained weight, I slept all

day, I felt like I was a complete and utter failure. (Hughes, “Full”)

And I honestly just felt I had to fix myself and there was something wrong with me and I

needed to make myself better before I showed myself again. That was my approach, and

it was kind of like my approach to sport training – I just wanted to be better and not show

any weakness. I was determined that it was me who was responsible for that and me

alone. (Hughes, “Bell”)

Looking back on her experience, Clara reflects on what led to her depressive crash.

Before it [the depression] really started I spent 6 years training at the highest level and

pushing myself and being pushed - probably too much as a young athlete – and those are

all things that led to this. Also, my upbringing – I come from a very dysfunctional

family. My parents did the best they could but there was a lot of aftermath with having

grown up in that environment. There’s things I still struggle with, coming to terms with,

and it’s a very real experience. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

It was over two years of loneliness, darkness, and despair before Clara discovered she had a

mental illness and found help for her depression.

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Getting Help

I don’t know if anyone knows why they end up depressed. For me, some of it had to do

with severe over-training as a young athlete. I was run into the ground and then I ran

myself into the ground more and more. I came back from my first Olympics with two

bronze medals thinking everything was going to be ok and it was going to be worth it

because I won something. But as the weeks and months went by after that I didn’t want

to look at those medals because they really made me miserable because everything I did

to get them just didn’t feel very meaningful. (Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

Clara continued to try and meet the demands of her training, but was falling behind.

I was at a training camp and crying all the time. I had also put on a lot of weight and was

just miserable.

My friends had tried to be there for me, but they didn't know what was going on either. I

wouldn't tell anyone. I thought it was up to me to make myself better.

As an athlete, you're trained to just suck it up. I've fallen and crashed on my head and

split my face open, and was still able to get back on my bike to finish a race. With the

depression I thought, “Okay, I just have to pull myself together and keep moving

forward.” But this was unlike anything physical I'd ever experienced.

I kept pushing myself to move forward, but I was so weighted down with the depression

that there was no forward momentum to be had. I just made it worse. (Hughes, “Clara

Hughes at”)

Yet as much as she tried to hide her difficulties, someone noticed.

That was when a doctor actually talked to me about what she was seeing in me and

seeing in this young athlete in front of her. She just basically confronted me and said,

“This is all the indications of depression.” And she said it quite clinically and matter-of-

factly. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

She said, “…You don’t need to feel like you’re alone. There are ways to get better.”

(Hughes, “Full”)

…I was shocked! I was like, “What are you talking about? No, that’s not me.” Inside I

thought, “I’m not depressed!” And then she went through all the things, “There’s

medication, there’s counselling, there’s all these different areas we can look at.” I was

almost insulted, I would say. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

But we’re also taught to talk about how we feel every second of every day – “How are

you doing? How do you feel? Are you recovering? Are you tired? Are you this, are

you that?” – so because I was in that environment it was open and the doctor felt

comfortable talking to me and approaching me with it. (Hughes, “Full”)

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I walked away from that thinking, and it took me a number of months to take the steps I

needed to get the help. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

That was the first step, realizing that ok, I really do have something here. But secondly,

the most important thing I realized was I didn’t have to go through it alone. (Hughes,

“Full”)

With the support of her doctors, therapists, and teammates Clara began to treat her depression.

As an athlete I had access to care, to support, to treatment, to a collective “we’re going to

get you through this.” When I actually started getting help it wasn’t like, “She’s

damaged goods.” It was like, “Ok, we’re going to support you through this.” I didn’t

lose my funding. The national cycling team was like, “Take as long as you need, we’ll

put you on an injury card.” That’s not the reality for most people. And so as much as

I’ve shared my story, I’m also very cautious in sharing it because it’s not like, “Just go

get help, it’s there for you,” because for a lot of people you get put on a waiting list.

(Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

Thanks to the support of her trainers and doctors, Clara was able to manage her depression

and return to sport with a new set of tools to deal with her illness. One of the main contributing

factors to her healing was what she called her “circle of strength” – a support network of family,

friends, doctors, therapists, psychologists, and the greater community of supporters and fans.

But even with all of her support, Clara is clear that, like most people with a mental health

disorder, there is no “quick fix” and her depression has not simply disappeared.

After London 2012, I figured it wouldn’t be so hard. A few months went by, we’d

decided this Ride would happen, I was busy – and the moment I stopped, when I had a

few weeks when I didn’t have to travel or do anything, I started feeling that weight again.

Feeling just heavy. I was walking on the road where we live, in the back country in Utah,

and felt disconnected with myself…. I was going back into that place. That’s when I

knew my depression wasn’t about the pressure of sport–it’s me. I’d thought I could do

this alone. No way. So I started working with a psychologist in early 2013. It really

helped. I went through a lot and was just crying, crying, crying in his office and getting a

lot of stuff out. He has helped me find peace with certain things and realize I’m not a

super-person, I can’t just change myself or the world, that there’s a lot of work I need to

do on myself with the help of a professional. (Munday, “Clara”)

To this day it is still a darkness that I know lingers and looms.… The most important

thing is learning how to recognize the signals of when maybe I could be falling into that

again, and making sure I talk to who I need to talk to when I feel things coming on.

(Hughes, “Clara Hughes on”)

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A Role Model for Canadians

Now retired as a professional athlete, Clara has channeled her intense concentration, drive,

and determination into helping others. Her philanthropic focus comes naturally as her parents

were active volunteers in Winnipeg when she was growing up. Her father was an artist and

patron of the arts and her mother was often busy giving her time to various sport events and other

organizations, and Clara attributes her “paying it forward” policy to their example (Milton). She

has also been inspired by her coaches and peers who have modeled this behaviour.

I think the most important fundamental thing is to lead by example. You can’t be

something other than the message that you’re giving. My speed skate coach, Wang Xiuli,

always led by example in that she looked at us after the off season if we had come back a

little chubby. She’d put herself to work and lose some weight and say, “See your coach

is thinner than you.” It’s important to lead by example and to show what you expect of

others. Actions speak louder than words. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes, Olympic”)

Actions may speak louder than words, but Clara also believes that “when a person has the

megaphone in her hand, she’d better use it” (“Clara Hughes Finishes”). To this end, Clara has

translated her star power garnered through her success in sport to promoting causes that hold

personal meaning. For Clara, those causes have included Take a Hike, Right To Play, and Bell

Let’s Talk.

You’d think that being famous would change Clara, but it hasn’t. While her goal is to

positively alter attitudes and beliefs on a national and global level, she’s still the small-town girl

from the prairies and what resonates most are the small things – talking with individuals and

hearing personal stories of trials and triumphs, or sharing a treat at a small-town Canadian bakery

and starting a conversation. While every situation and opportunity to speak out and help has

meaning for her, it is often her work in the smaller communities – especially up north – that

mean the most.

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…When I was up in the Torngat Mountain National Park with the Inuit People of the

Nunatsiavut region last summer I was volunteering with Parks Canada for an Inuit youth

summer program. There were many people up at the base camp. One such person was

Shelagh Rogers of CBC Radio. Shelagh has struggled deeply with depression and we

had a little evening presentation called “a happy talk about depression.” We had people

from all over the world there from elders and youth from Nunatsiavut, bear monitors, and

tourists, and we had this incredible discussion about depression. We shared how it had

affected our lives and those people shared their own experiences. It was a fantastic

meshing of the cultures and though our struggles were different, we all realized this is

something that affects everyone, and thus we are all in it together. All of this up in a

national park in the arctic! (Hughes, Personal)

Becoming an advocate for health and wellness has not changed Clara’s basic beliefs about

herself or her purpose. She has always been clear about her goal as a role model for Canadians.

I don't see myself as famous but more as a person trying to use all the forces and

intentions of people around me to mobilize and motivate everyone to be engaged and get

involved in this mental wellness movement. It's weird for me to be recognized because I

don't feel I stand out nor do I want to. It's more having red hair that makes me more

noticed I think. (Hughes, Personal)

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Spokesperson for Mental Health

Clara’s start as an advocate for mental health began in 2010. Bell Canada, already a sponsor

for her skating, heard about her background and her challenges overcoming depression and

approached Clara to see if she would like to be their spokesperson for a new campaign for

mental health.

When I learned of Bell’s campaign, and I learned about it after the Vancouver Olympics,

I went across the country – Bell was my sponsor – sharing what the Olympics were like.

Being an athlete, carrying the flag, winning an Olympic medal in Canada for Canada - I

guess as Canada - I learned about this initiative coming up. I shared my story with

George Cope and he said, “We really want you to be a part of this.” And I said, “I want

to be a part of this! I don’t care how or why or in what capacity, I just want to help.

Because this is important!”

…And my role is so small. It’s like I have this tiny story to tell but I feel like maybe it’s

the first little baby step so people can feel like if someone who’s been so successful as an

athlete as I’ve been – and I do share the joy when I have it, I love to share the joy and the

rapture, and I shared my joy and my struggle - and I can show people I’m human, and

it’s ok to be human. (Hughes, “Full”)

At first, Clara’s role in the campaign was concentrated in January of each year, during the

lead up to Bell’s Let’s Talk Day. Since 2011, each year Bell Canada chooses a day in late

January or early February for their fundraising/awareness campaign in support of mental health

initiatives across Canada. On that day, Bell donates 5 cents for every text, tweet, or long

distance phone call made. In its first year, the campaign raised $3.3 million, and it has grown by

about 20% each year, involving politicians, athletes and sport teams, actors, musicians,

astronauts, and celebrities. Over the years the fame and participation of the day has spread

beyond Canada into the United States, Europe and Asia. In 2014 Let’s Talk Day raised nearly

$5.5 million. Clara has commented she’s overwhelmed by the growing support of Let’s Talk

Day.

Thank you Canada! By talking so openly about mental illness and its impact, you're

letting family, friends, neighbours and colleagues who struggle with mental illness know

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they can talk about it and seek the help they may need. I've heard encouraging stories of

hope and opportunity from so many people throughout the Bell Let's Talk Day campaign.

Together, we've taken the conversation about mental health to a new level - it's a

conversation that's not just changing lives, it's saving lives! (“Canadians”)

Since Clara’s start on Bell’s campaign she has seen a difference in how Canadians view

mental health.

I have basically seen more people comfortable talking about mental illness in the media,

more stories and critical assessments of the system and how it can be improved, and

countless people have shared with me, personally, their stories. Not just the effect of

mental illness on themselves or a loved one/friend/coworker; but also what they are doing

to have a positive effect in this area. It's been incredible to hear how people are

becoming mobilized. (Hughes, Personal)

Clara has often said that being a spokesperson for mental health is more important to her than

being an Olympian.

…Because it hits home. I had my own struggles with depression, my father was an

alcoholic and undiagnosed bipolar, my sister has struggled dearly with bipolar disorder

for 24 years. It runs in the family and I've seen the struggle with navigating the mental

health system in terms of care and access to care first hand. I've also seen over worked

under resourced workers in the field who need more support. Because I have the

platform of having succeeded at sport, I feel so strongly to use it to help this situation and

try to normalize the conversation of mental health. Breaking down the stigma attached is

what I can help with most and I am one of many working to eliminate the stigma.

(Hughes, Personal)

Now, Clara’s involvement in the drive to end the stigma surrounding mental health is a year-

round job. Not content to play only a supportive role for Let’s Talk, Clara initiated Clara’s Big

Ride for mental health in 2013.

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Clara’s Big Ride

Clara can’t seem to do anything halfway. After her retirement from competitive sport in

2012, when most people would plan to put up their feet for a time, Clara was looking for her next

project.

I was on a hike after the London Olympics with my husband, Peter. We were in

California hiking a chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail and we had our backpacks. It was a

time of transition for me. It was the first autumn I was stepping into with no spring of

training up ahead. So as I moved through that hike, and all these emotions every day I

just started connecting back with my body and with my spirit, and how important

movement was to me. And I just felt like, “God, I wish I could share this feeling with

people.” (Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

By the end of the hike, Clara had decided to put together an awareness-raising event for

mental health – a bike ride around all of Canada. And so, with the help of Bell’s Let’s Talk

team, Clara’s Big Ride was born. Clara calls it the “ride of her life” (Munday, “Clara”).

This is actually the most important work I will do in my life. I am so grateful to have the

chance to give the voice to Canadians from coast to coast to coast to shout it out loud and

clear that this is an issue that affects every single one of us. (“Clara Hughes Big”)

Clara’s expectation for the ride was straightforward – get as many Canadians as possible

talking about mental health and erasing the stigma attached to the subject.

It’s really all about connecting with communities all across Canada. Not only are we

riding 12,000 kilometres across Canada, we have 230 community events along the way,

including all across the north of Canada. We’re even riding the Dempster Highway from

Inuvik to Dawson City. I think a conversation with mental health is going in every

direction, it’s coming front and centre with no exception. In Sochi when I did my work

for CBC we had a whole segment on prime time about mental health and athletes and the

conversation is getting louder and louder. I think this ride is going to make a huge roar

that brings Canadians together, not just in joy but in struggle. And that’s the reality. So

many people are connected and affected by mental health. It’s time that we stopped

pretending that mental illness does not exist. (“Clara Hughes is”)

Calling this trek a ‘big’ ride is exactly right, because the numbers are staggering. On this

journey, Clara:

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travelled through every province and territory.

biked over 12,000 kilometres. (by the way, that’s 110kms/day)

visited 95 different communities, giving a key-note speech almost every night.

talked to students at 90 schools.

spoke at 235 events.

Before beginning, she reflected on her worries about the task ahead.

I’m terrified. In some ways it is bigger than anything I’ve ever done. I think every day is

going to be exhausting but at the same time I have tens of thousands of kilometres in my

legs on the bike over the years and that’s an endurance base I can draw upon for many

things in my life including this ride. (Kennedy, “Hard”)

During this epic ride Clara had to deal with different challenges. Injury, illness, and

mechanical difficulties were always a possibility but there were plans and backup plans to deal

with any imaginable situation. Clara also had a team of support workers with her, starting with

her husband, Peter Guzman, who biked the entire journey right alongside her. There were also

drivers, a mechanic, a physical therapist, and a nutritionist. But the “elephant in the room” that

everyone was worried about was the weather (Kennedy, “Clara’s”). And Canada dished out

everything it could. During her ride Clara dealt with snow, sleet, blizzards, ice, rain, fog, strong

winds, heat, and humidity.

Yet as difficult as the physical challenges were, the emotional ones were even tougher.

I thought it was going to be hard, but I really underestimated the emotional side of it. I

had to, in the latter part of the ride, I had to work a lot with my psychologist in Calgary.

…I just realized, in one of the communities, “I can’t deliver any more.” This is not good

for the crowd that is here, either for inspiration or answers or just education. (Blatchford)

But despite her exhaustion, Clara kept up her speaking engagements, always giving as much

as she had and making sure she connected with the people around her.

An elated, exhausted Clara finally reached Parliament Hill on Canada Day and told the

waiting crowds:

Happy Canada Day and thank you everyone for your incredible support! My journey

around this great country has shown me that Canadians everywhere are ready to talk

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about mental health and eager to make a difference. So many wonderful, open and

welcoming people, from Canada's big cities to the small settlements of the North,

communities in every province and territory - all sharing the dream of a stigma-free

Canada, a place where those who struggle aren't afraid to ask for help. We all know

someone impacted, whether in our families, our workplaces or our neighbourhoods. The

Big Ride has shown me that talking openly about mental illness, learning that we are all

affected in some way, just destroys the stigma. It's the first step in moving mental health

forward. Now, let's keep talking Canada, and achieve the world's first nation free of the

stigma around mental illness! (“Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk arrives”)

Even after completing such an extraordinary campaign, Clara is humble.

…It is not about me. This is about so many Canadians who have, in turn, shared their

story with me or shared it with others or opened up to their families or gotten the help

they needed. Or people who have seen family members or friends, co-workers, team

mates struggling – they’ve been able to reach out now and help them get help. I feel that

it’s just starting to shift in terms of stigma, in terms of people feeling like they want to

keep this conversation going too. But we have so much work to do. (Hughes, “Bell”)

I hope people remember a time when someone did something - some ride - and she had

red hair or something…but that thing was kind of the start that made the big difference in

Canada…but I can’t even remember her name.

I’ve had those opportunities to be famous. I’ve been very privileged. I’ve competed in

two sports, 6 Olympics, and that’s not normal. My fear is this Ride being about me. I

don’t want it to be about me, there’s been enough of me. I just want to be the vehicle, the

platform that people use to have their voice heard. (Kennedy, “Clara’s”)

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General Spokesperson Roles

While Clara’s spotlight right now is on her Let’s Talk campaign about lifting the stigma

around mental health in Canada, she has also been - and still is - active with several other support

organizations.

Right To Play

Since 1996, Clara Hughes has been an Athlete Ambassador for the international organization

Right To Play (RTP). This international humanitarian organization uses games, sport, and play

programs:

to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in

some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Working in both the humanitarian

and development context, Right To Play builds local capacity by training community

leaders as Coaches to deliver its programs in 20 countries affected by war, poverty, and

disease in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. (“Right”)

After winning gold in 2006, Clara donated $10,000 to Right to Play. For Clara, RTP was an

opportunity to give back some of her success and joy after participating in the Summer

Olympics.

I wanted to give back. I wanted more children of the world to know, quite simply, what it

is like to be a kid and the joy I get as an athlete. (“Healthy Choices: Silver”)

I won an Olympic gold medal that year but I really feel I became a champion because I

had connected, contributed and committed to these phenomenal programs that are

shifting the minds, hearts and lives of hundreds of thousands of children. So it didn’t

take a second thought to continue giving time, energy and money to Right To Play. It

gave me balance and meaning in what I was doing and in many ways helped me continue

competing until I was a hair shy of 40 years old. (“Clara Hughes: Right”)

And for Clara, being a part of RTP means getting back just as much as she gives.

The morning of my race I watched a documentary on the group Right to Play and their

work in Uganda. The children lived with war, poverty and violence, yet they were so

happy when they were engaged in sport and play. I thought if these kids can do this, so

can I during my Olympic race that same evening. I had written “joy” on my hand with a

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pen to remind me of those shining eyes from Uganda that I saw on my TV. I looked at

this temporary tattoo as a reminder of what I was capable of. (“Healthy Choices: Silver”)

Clara has been a member of the international board for Right To Play since 2012.

Take A Hike

After her bronze medal win at the 2010 Olympics, Clara donated her $10,000 medal bonus to

the Vancouver inner city school program, Take A Hike(TAH), and became a TAH Ambassador.

The TAH website describes their program as:

…an alternative education program that engages at-risk youth through a unique

combination of adventure-based learning, academics, counseling, and community

involvement. …The Take a Hike program provides at-risk youth with the opportunity to

make positive change in their lives through outdoor experiential learning, working with

therapists to overcome their personal issues, building confidence and improving

academic abilities. (Take, About Us)

Like the other programs she’s involved in, Clara feels a personal connection to the people

being helped by this program.

I was one of those students that didn't care about anything and I was involved with a lot

of drinking at a young age and drugs and smoking a pack a day. That was me. And this is

me now. There is a way out. It's different for every person. Sport is not the (only) answer,

but I think goals and dreams and a sense of self-worth is the answer. I really believe Take

A Hike parallels what sport has done for me. It took me out of a really bad direction and

path in life and this program is something that works. I think this is going to shift the

direction of some lives, just like sport did for me. (“Clara Hughes’ Bronze”)

Clara is also a supporter of the Axel Merckx Youth Development Foundation (AMYDF) and

the Nunavik Youth Hockey Development Program (NYHDP).

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Honours

Over the past 10 years Clara has been awarded numerous honours in recognition of her

achievements on and off the podium. In 2004, Speed Skating Canada called her their female

athlete of the year, and in 2006 she was named a Member of the Order of Manitoba and granted

the prestigious Sport and Community Award by the International Olympic Committee. At the

Vancouver Olympics in 2010 Clara was Canada’s flag-bearer, and once the Olympics were done

she was given a star on Canada’s Walk Of Fame, was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of

Fame, and the highest Canadian honour, becoming an Officer of the Order of Canada, was

bestowed upon her. After the medal ceremony, Clara commented:

Speed skating and cycling are difficult sports. But I guess more than anything I'm most

proud of what I've done with the voice when I've had it and when I've had the stage to be

able to reach out. (Spencer)

In the past two years, Clara has also be called Yahoo!’s “best ambassador for Canada”, had

her name added to the Wall of Champions at the Olympic Skating Oval in Calgary, been a

Loyola Medal recipient, and – most recently – received the Meritorious Service Cross in

recognition of her Big Ride.

Clara has also been granted 4 honourary doctorate degrees from universities in Manitoba,

British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Ontario.

I always have to remind myself that I'm human and that the potential of the human being

is that there's a magic that can happen within that, ... That's where it can bring you

beyond what your body might be able to do. I'm so excited just to go there and just let it

unfold. (“Clara Hughes”, ThinkExist)

Finally, named for Clara in honour of her achievements are:

the “Clara Hughes Public School” in Oshawa, Ontario.

the “Clara Hughes Recreation Park” in her hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

a hill in Hamilton, Ontario – now called “Clara’s Climb” – where she trained for many

years.

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Being able to put my name and, I hope, my history and what I’ve been able to do on a place

made for young people in a community where I come from, where I grew up, on the same

land where I started being any kind of an athlete, it means the world to me. (Bender)

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Clara’s Effect on Parliament

Clara Hughes is making sure that her campaign to change the perception around mental health

is being heard by everyone in Canada. She has done over 1000 speaking engagements on the

subject from elementary and high schools, to special interest groups, to international venues, to

the steps of parliament. On the political front Clara has had an influence on all levels of

Canadian government – municipal, provincial, and federal. During Clara’s Big Ride, more than

160 elected officials and leaders signed a commitment map carried by Clara throughout the Ride,

pledging their communities to help build a stigma-free Canada (“Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's

Talk arrives”). Hundreds of mayors and dozens of MP’s and MLA’s have personally cheered

her on her Big Ride and led new initiatives for mental health support in their communities. Clara

has also been used as an example of a champion for mental health in numerous Parliamentary

committees, Senate presentations, and during session in the House of Commons. (Parliament)

It seems as if all the leaders on Parliament Hill know her name. Prime Minister Stephen

Harper introduced Clara at the end of her Big Ride on July 1st, and his wife, Laureen Harper,

spoke out in support of Clara’s efforts before she began her journey in March (“Clara’s Big Ride

for Bell Let’s Talk: A journey). In 2014, leaders who took part in Bell’s Let’s Talk Day

included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor-General David Johnston, Minister of Health

Rona Ambrose, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

Clara is keenly aware of the value of encouraging Canada’s leaders and law-makers to be a

part of the conversation around improving mental health care.

I hope this is made the most important issue in our country in terms of health care, in

terms of recognizing the absolute need and the lack of resources. And as that [lack]

changes, our government changes things for Canadian people. (Hughes, “Clara Hughes

on”)

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When you talk about politics, I remember hearing on the news about the Lieutenant

Governor of Alberta sharing his story of mental illness and what he went through and

struggled with and I thought, “My gosh, here’s a leader telling his story, sharing his story.

The walls of stigma are indeed being broken down!” (Let’s Talk)

All the experts and the different people who have become involved this year, talking

about it - we need to as a country, as a nation, talk loud and clear about what we want and

what we expect in this area. I think that when the government hears that I would hope

they’re going to listen. And the louder the voice, the greater the response. (Hughes,

“Clara Hughes on”)

When asked what she wanted Members of Parliament to understand and do about mental

health care in Canada, Clara’s responses were immediate and direct.

…Funding percentages need to be shifted to better meet the needs. It is out of balance

and needs a dramatic shift. I would like to see a mental health and well-being curriculum

implemented into schools. I would like to see a massive push in the Northern

communities for a respectful plan and program for mental health, especially after the

Truth and Reconciliation Commission finishes its process. There is such a desperate

need for help and support there. (Hughes, Personal)

I would like them [MPs] to understand we have a long way to go. That there are amazing

people working in the field who are burning out because of poor funding and lack of

resources. That there are some impactful programs saving lives that can be used as

templates in other places that work if there was more funding. I believe Canada can be a

world leader when it comes to tolerance, education, accessories to care, resources, and

funding when it comes to mental health and well-being. We led the world in sport and

can certainly lead the world here. (Hughes, Personal)

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Conclusion

Every generation has a person or two who is exceptional, who is held as a standard of

excellence and hope for all Canadians. In every instance, the characteristics that mark such a

person include:

an internal fire, a spirit that blazes out.

the ability to rise above every challenge and obstacle in stubborn pursuit of one’s goals.

the use of one’s talents and skills with utter passion and belief to shine a spotlight on a

cause at a national or international level.

an adamant awareness that what one is striving toward has nothing to do with personal

gain and everything to do with furthering the efforts of the cause, that the cause is more

important than the person.

An exceptional person isn’t perfect, nor better than the rest of us. But such a person inspires

each one of us to go a little further, try a little harder, do a little more. Because if s/he can do

that much, then maybe we can do our part, too.

Clara Hughes – sports hero, Olympic champion, international ambassador for children’s play,

and crusader for mental health in Canada - is one of our country’s exceptional people.

I’ve witnessed the transformation of suffering to joy, the human condition. The highs

and the lows, the dark and the light. It’s always just a matter of finding what you need to

do to find that light. And if you can find it, you have to share it and shine it upon others.

(Darkness)

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Awards and Accomplishments

Sports

To list all of Clara’s sport achievements would take a book. The following list is merely the

highlights of her sport career.

1989 National Championships, Silver Medal, Mass Start (speed skating)

1990 Western Canada Games, 5 medals - 4 gold, 1 silver - overall (cycling)

National Championships, 3 gold medals overall, (cycling)

1991 Pan American Games, Silver Medal, Individual Pursuit (cycling)

Pan American Games, Bronze Medal, Team Time Trial (cycling)

1994 Commonwealth Games, Silver Medal, Team Time Trial (cycling)

Tour de France, Feminin 2nd

(cycling)

Powerbar Women’s Challenge, Overall Victory (cycling)

1995 World Championships, Silver Medal, Time Trial (cycling)

Pan American Games, Silver Medal, Team Time Trial (cycling)

Pan American Games, Silver Medal, Road Race (cycling)

Liberty Classic Philadelphia, 1st place (cycling)

1996 Summer Olympics, Bronze Medal, Road Race (cycling)

Summer Olympics, Bronze Medal, Time Trial (cycling)

Hewlett Packard International Women’s Challenge, 2nd

Overall (cycling)

1997 Tour of Texas Overall Victory (cycling)

1998 Sea Otter Classic Overall Victory (cycling)

2002 Winter Olympics, Bronze Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

Commonwealth Games, Gold Medal, Time Trial (cycling)

Commonwealth Games, Bronze Medal, Points Race (cycling)

2003 World Championships, Silver Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

Pan American Games, Gold Medal, Points Race (cycling)

Pan American Games, Silver Medal, Time Trial (cycling)

Pan American Games, Bronze Medal, Individual Pursuit (cycling)

2004 World Championships, Gold Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

2005 World Championships, Bronze Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

World Championships, Silver Medal, Team Pursuit (speed skating)

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2006 Winter Olympics, Gold Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

Winter Olympics, Silver Medal, Team Pursuit (speed skating)

2008 World Championships, Silver Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

2009 World Championships, Silver Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

2010 Winter Olympics, Bronze Medal, 5000m (speed skating)

2011 World Championships, 5th

place time trial (cycling)

Pan American Champion, Road Race (cycling)

Pan American Champion, Time Trial (cycling)

Tour of the Gila Overall victory (cycling)

Gatineau Time Trial 1st (cycling)

Mt. Hood Classic 2nd

overall (cycling)

Cascade Classic 3rd

Overall (cycling)

2012 Clara’s final Olympics, 32nd

place Road Race, 5th

place Road Time Trial (cycling)

13 World Cup Medals (300m, 5000m and Team Pursuit) 2003-2010

35-time Canadian National Champion for Road, Track Cycling and Speed Skating

Honorary Doctorates

2006 University of Manitoba

2008 University of British Columbia

2010 University of New Brunswick

2012 York University

Places Named After Clara

Clara’s Climb A hill in Hamilton, Ontario where Clara trained for 7 years

Clara Hughes Recreation Park Elmwood neighbourhood, Winnipeg, Manitoba where

Clara grew up

Clara Hughes Public School Oshawa, Ontario

35

Other Awards and Honours

2004 Female Athlete of the Year, Speed Skating Canada

2006 International Olympic Committee, Sport and the Community Award

Sports Personality of the Year, La Presse Newspaper, Montreal

Member of the Order of Manitoba

2010 Flag bearer for Canadian Olympic Team at the Winter Olympics

Officer of the Order of Canada

Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame

Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

National spokesperson for Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign for mental health

2012 Appointed to International Board of Directors for Right to Play organization

Yahoo! best ambassador for Canada award

One of twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and

Physical Activity list, Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women

and Sport and Physical Activity

2013 Name added to the Wall of Champions - Olympic Skating Oval, Calgary

2014 Loyola Medal Recipient, Concordia University

Meritorious Service Cross, awarded by the Governor General of Canada

36

Bibliography

Clara Hughes’ rise in Canadian awareness coincided with the rise of the internet as one of the

primary means of finding, organizing, and sharing information. As a result, the majority of

information about her can only be found on websites and other online resources. Be aware,

however, that the internet is a virtual and changing entity, and websites are not as solid nor as

concrete as a book - the resources listed may not be able to be found at a future time.

Adams, Kate. “Six-Time Olympic Medalist Clara Hughes Talks about Mental Health.”

BayToday.ca. BayToday.ca, 24 May 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:

DSM-5. Arlington: Amer. Psychiatric Pub. Inc., 2013. Print.

Beenken, Theresa. “Posts tagged ‘Clara Hughes’.” NSB’s Blog. National Speakers Bureau, 8

Feb. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Bell Let’s Talk - Clara Hughes.” Bell Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.

Bender, Jim. “Clara Hughes fast tracked into Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.” Winnipeg Sun.

Winnipeg Sun, 3 Nov. 2012. Web. 5 May 2014.

Blatchford, Christie. “Physical pain of Clara Hughes’ epic ride for mental health paled next to

emotional toll.” National Post: Full Comment. National Post, 2 July 2014. Web. 6 July

2014.

Calis, Kristen. “Olympian Clara Hughes Talks Mental Health with Oshawa Kids.” Oshawa This

Week. Metroland, 6 Mar. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

CAMH: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. CAMH, 2012. Web. 9 May 2014.

37

“Canada’s Best Ambassador Winner: Clara Hughes.” Yahoo News Canada. Yahoo News

Network, 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Canadian Olympic Medallist Clara Hughes Visits Parliament Hill In Support Of Bell Let’s

Talk.” Official Canadian Olympic Team Website: Team Canada: 2014 Winter Olympics.

Canadian Olympic Committee, n.d. Web. 2 May 2014.

“Canadians talk about mental health like never before on Bell Let's Talk Day.” CNW: A PR

Newswire Company. CNW Group, 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 6 May 2014.

Christie, James. “Clara Hughes Conquers the Dark Weight of Depression.” The Globe and Mail.

The Globe and Mail, 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes.” Right To Play. Right To Play, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.

---. Speakers’ Spotlight. Speakers’ Spotlight, 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.

---. ThinkExist. ThinkExist.com Quotations, n.d. Web. 5 July 2014.

---. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Awarded 2006 International Olympic Committee Sport & the Community

Trophy.” Speed Skating Canada. N.p., 2 April 2007. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Big Ride.” Ageless Living. Ageless Living, 2 Mar. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Bio, Stats, and Results.” Sports Reference/ Olympic Sports. Fox Sports, n.d. Web.

1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Biography.” Athletic Heros. Canada Heroes, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes’ Bronze Medal = Gold For Take A Hike!” Take a Hike. Take a Hike - Youth at

Risk Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Finishes Epic Ride.” Media Q & A at Rideau Hall. Bell Canada. Bell Canada, 1

July 2014. Web. 3 July 2014.

38

“Clara Hughes Is Now on the Road to Building a Stigma-Free Canada.” Newswire. CNW Group,

14 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 May 2014.

Clara Hughes: Olympian, Humanitarian, Motivator. Clara Hughes, 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Olympic Athlete Profile.” Narr. Allison Vuchnich. Global National. Global

News, 23 July 2012. Web. 2 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Bookrags Media Network, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara Hughes Rec. Park Lands $58K from Feds.” ChrisD.ca. N.p., 8 Jan. 2013. Web. 2 May

2014.

“Clara Hughes: Right To Play Canada.” By Heather. Globetrotting Mama. N.p., 29 Nov. 2012.

Web. 4 July 2014.

“Clara Hughes to Bike across Canada in Mental-Health Campaign.” CTV News. Bell Media, 25

Apr. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara-Hughes-Visits.” Durham District School Board. Durham District School Board, 2013.

Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara’s Big Ride Comes to BMO Main Branch in Hamilton.” Digital Journal. N.p., 14 Mar.

2014. Web. 2 May 2014.

Clara’s Big Ride for Bell Let’s Talk. Bell Canada, 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Clara’s Big Ride for Bell Let’s Talk: A journey around Canada to grow the mental health

conversation like never before.” BCE. Bell Media, 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 8 May 2014.

“Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk arrives on Parliament Hill: Clara Hughes completes her epic

journey to create a stigma-free nation.” Yahoo Finance. Bell Canada, 1 July 2014. Web. 5

July 2014.

39

Darkness and Hope: Depression, Sports, and Me. Narr. Michael Landsberg. TSN Documentary.

Bell Media, 2012. DVD.

Davidson, Neil. “London 2012: Canada’s Clara Hughes Ends up 32nd in Olympic Road Race.”

National Post. National Post, 29 July 2012. Web. 9 May 2014.

“Depression and Bipolar Disorder.” Canadian Mental Health Association. Canadian Mental

Health Association, 2014. Web. 2 June 2014.

“Depression in the Workplace.” Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario. Canadian Mental

Health Association, 2014. Web. 9 July 2014.

“The Facts.” Mental Health Commission of Canada. Mental Health Commission of Canada,

2012. Web. 4 July 2014.

Falloon, Dan. “Playground Cash Announced for Clara Hughes Recreation Park.” Canstar

Herald: Community News: Online Edition. Winnipeg Free Press, 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 2

May 2014.

Fragomeni, Carmela. “Clara’s Climb ‘means the world to me’.” Hamilton Spectator. Clara-

Hughes.com, 7 May 2013. Web. 2 May 2014.

Francis, Jacquelyn. “Six-Time Medallist Clara Hughes and Boxing Favourite Mary Spencer

Break down Their Olympic Lead-up Routines.” Fashion Magazine. St. Joseph Media, 5

June 2012. Web. 6 May 2014.

Gordon, Sean. “The Globe and Mail: Clara Hughes: The Greatest Female Olympian Ever.”

Sportcafe, 20 July 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

Harper, Steven. Speech. “PM Celebrates Canada’s Winter Olympians.” Prime Minister of

Canada. N.p., 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 2 May 2014.

40

---. Speech. “PM Congratulates Clara Hughes on Olympic Bronze Medal.” Prime Minister of

Canada. N.p., 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 2 May 2014.

---. Speech. “PM Delivers Remarks Recognizing Olympic and Paralympic Athletes on

Parliament Hill.” Prime Minister of Canada. N.p., 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 2 May 2014.

“Health – Self-rated Mental Health.” Employment and Social Development Canada. Government

of Canada, n.d. Web. 30 June 2014.

“Healthy Choices: Gold.” Canadian Olympic School Program. Canadian Olympic Commimttee,

n.d. Web. 9 May 2014.

“Healthy Choices: Silver.” Canadian Olympic School Program. Canadian Olympic

Commimttee, n.d. Web. 9 May 2014.

“Honoured Member Stories: Clara Hughes.” Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. Canada’s Sports

Hall of Fame, 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

Hughes, Clara, and Duff Gibson, commentator. “Clara Hughes.” Sport At Its Best. N.p., 3 Feb.

2010. Web. 1 May 2014.

Hughes, Clara. “Bell Let’s Talk Day - Interview with Clara Hughes (TSN 1290).” Bell Media

Radio Winnipeg. SoundCloud, n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.

---. “Clara Hughes at Partners in Prevention: Behind the Smile.” Workplace Safety and

Prevention Services. Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, 2014. Web. 2 July 2014.

---. “Clara Hughes, Olympic Champion - An Interview with Gerard Seijts on Leadership.” Ian O.

Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership - Richard Ivey School of Business. Ivey Business

School, 2 May 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.

---. “Clara Hughes on Q TV.” Q with Jian Ghomeshi. CBC Television, 9 June 2010. Web. 4

May 2014.

41

---. “Clara Hughes – Summer and Winter Olympic Medalist, Speaker, Mental Health

Advocate.” Prospeakers Canada. YouTube, 27 May 2010. Web. 6 May 2014.

---. “Full Interview: Clara Hughes.” George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. CBC Television, 8

Feb. 2012. Web. 3 May 2014.

---. “Honouring Clara Hughes.” CBC Television. CBC, 9 Nov. 2013. Web. 6 May 2014.

---. Interview by Sean Gordon. “Clara Hughes talks about Moving on after the Olympics.” The

Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

---. “Interview: Clara Hughes.” Canadian Cyclist. Canadian Cyclist, 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 6 May

2014.

---. “Interview with Clara Hughes.” Interview by Sandra Walter. Pedalvideo. Youtube, 17 Dec.

2011. Web. 2 May 2014.

---. “Interview with Clara Hughes – Is 2012 Her Last Olympics?” Original interview by Barbara

in Canadian Health and Lifestyles Magazine, 22 Mar. 2012. Clara Hughes: Olympian,

Humanitarian, Motivator. Clara Hughes, n.d. Web. 6 May 2014.

---. Personal Interview. 12 Mar. 2014.

“John with Canadian Gold-Medal Olympian Clara Hughes in Support of Mental Health.” Hon.

John McKay, MP. N.p., 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 2 May 2014.

Kennedy, Tom. “Clara’s Big Ride.” Documentary. CTV: W5. Bell Media, 8 Mar. 2014. Web. 10

May 2014.

---. “Hard Work and Passion as Clara Hughes Gets Ready to Ride for Mental Health

Awareness.” CTV: W5. Bell Media, 8 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.

“Let’s End the Stigma.” Bell Let’s Talk. Bell Canada, 2014. Web. 5 July 2014.

42

Let’s Talk Day: Teens and Depression. Hosts Marci Ien and Beverly Thomson. Contr., Clara

Hughes, Michael Landsberg, and Margaret Trudeau. CTV. McIntyre Media, 2012. DVD.

Malloway, Jim. “Bill S-204 (Historical): National Philanthropy Act.” OpenParliament. Open

North, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 May 2014.

McCulloch, Scott. “Clara Hughes Awarded Loyola Medal.” Concordia University, 31 March

2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Mental Health Facts.” Bell Let’s Talk. Bell Canada, 2014. Web. 30 June 2014.

“Meritorious Service Decoration to Clara Hughes.” The Governor General of Canada, His

Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston. Government of Canada, 30 June 2014.

Web. 3 July 2014.

Mills, Tom. “Clara Hughes for Prime Minister, if she doesn’t have better things to do.” Sault

Star. Canoe Sun Media, 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 8 May 2014.

Milton, Steve. “Clara Hughes: ‘You Show People the Joy, and You Share the Struggle.’” The

Hamilton Spectator. Metroland Media, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 3 May 2014.

Mooney, Maggie. Canada’s Top 100: The greatest athletes of all time. Vancouver: Greystone

Books, 2010. Print.

Munday, Bonnie. “Clara Hughes on the ‘Ride’ of her Life.” Originally titled "Superhuman, yet

so human” in the March 2014 issue of Best Health. Best Health Magazine. Readers

Digest Magazines Canada, June 2014. Web. 28 June 2014.

---. “Q & A with Olympian Clara Hughes.” Originally titled "You go, Clara!" in the May 2012

issue of Best Health. Best Health Magazine. Readers Digest Magazines Canada, May

2012. Web. 6 May 2014.

43

O’Connor, Joe. “A Look Back at Olympian Clara Hughes’ Battle with Depression.” National

Post. National Post, 28 February 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

---. “Olympian Clara Hughes’ smile hid a dark and lonely place.” National Post. National Post, 5

Feb. 2011. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Olympian and Humanitarian Clara Hughes Joins Right To Play’s International Board of

Directors.” Clara Hughes IBOD. Right To Play, 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

O’Neill, Doug. “The Incredible Clara Hughes: Take 10.” Canadian Living - The Life Blog.

Transcontinental Media, 29 July 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

Parliament of Canada. Search results for ‘Clara Hughes’. Parl.gc.ca, n.d. Web. 6 July, 2014.

Pilon, Roch, and Tabitha Marshall. “Clara Hughes.” Historica Canada. Rev. ed. The Canadian

Encyclopedia, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

Purse, Marcia. “Stigma.” Bipolar Disorder. About.com, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 1 July 2014.

“A Record-Setting Bell Let’s Talk Day - an Unprecedented National Conversation about Mental

Health.” Bell Canada. CNW Group, 13 February 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

“A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada.” Public Health Agency of Canada. Government of

Canada, n.d. Web. 30 June 2014.

“Right To Play.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 21 June 2014.

Web. 7 July 2014.

Sager, Neate. “Clara Hughes Broke Her Back 2 Months before the Olympics.” Yahoo Sports

Canada. Yahoo News Network, 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.

“Six-Time Olympian Clara Hughes to Ride across Canada for Mental Health.” The Globe and

Mail. The Globe and Mail, 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

44

Smith, Daniel J., curator. Mentally Speaking: A look at issues and resolutions in the Mental

Health world. Scoop.it, n.d. Web. 29 June 2014.

Spencer, Christina. “Order of Canada for Clara.” Winnipeg Sun. Winnipeg Sun, 7 April 2010.

Web. 7 May 2014.

Starkman, Randy. “Clara Hughes’ Untold Story: Wild Teen to Olympic Champ.” Toronto Star.

veloptimum.net, 29 Jan. 2010. Web. 3 May 2014.

“Stigma and Discrimination.” Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. Canadian Mental

Health Association, 2014. Web. 3 July 2014.

Sunderland, Adam, and Leanne C. Findlay. Perceived need for mental health care in Canada:

Results from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health. Statistics

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July 2014. < http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2013009/article/11863-eng.pdf>

Symon, John. “Clara Hughes’ ‘Big Ride’ Covering 12,000km Is Underway – 95 Communities to

Be Visited for Mental Health.…” Pedal: Canada’s Cycling Mag. Pedal Magazine, 17

Mar. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

Take A Hike: Youth At Risk Foundation. N.p., 2014. Web. 5 May 2014.

Ton That, Corinne. “Bell's 'Let's Talk' day raises nearly $5.5M for mental health initiatives.”

CTV News. Bell Media, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 5 May 2014.

Wake, Bev. “Top 25 Moments in Winter Olympic History: No. 22.” 2014 Winter Games.

Postmedia Network, 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.

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“York University to Honour Outstanding Olympian Clara Hughes on Oct. 10.” Pedal: Canada’s

Cycling Mag. Pedal Magazine, 9 October 2012. Web. 1 May 2014.