Gym staff's card lifts Sherwood Park man through mental health crisis
Planet Fitness staff in Sherwood Park recognized when a regular stopped coming and responded with a handwritten card that meant everything.
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A small gesture from Planet Fitness staff in Sherwood Park reminded Damien Uzelman that kindness still exists.
Uzelman had been a consistent gym-goer twice a week until stress piled up and he stopped coming. When he finally returned after weeks away, the staff wanted to make sure he felt seen. "When I got back after being off for a few weeks, the staff were just so excited to see me," he said. They handed him a card signed by the whole team with messages of support.
"When I got the card, I was just in a very emotional state," Uzelman told reporters. "You get a simple gesture as a card and you're just like, 'there are nice people in the world, thank goodness.'"
Uzelman posted a video thanking the gym, revealing his ongoing struggle with depression and anxiety. "I struggle with depression, anxiety, and coming to a place like Planet Fitness where there's no judgment, it's like, 'OK, I don't have to worry about what other people think of me.' I can just put my headphones on and do my own thing."
The gesture pushed him to return more regularly — he now goes six days a week — and to speak publicly about men's mental health. According to Statistics Canada, the suicide rate amongst men is almost three times that of women, and men account for nearly 75 per cent of suicide deaths despite making up half the population.
"Men cry," Uzelman said, challenging the stigma. "We're always told to grow up, be a man, don't cry. But men cry."
Megan L'Heureux, general manager of the Sherwood Park Planet Fitness, said the gym aims to foster a welcoming community. "Don't be nervous to come in. The first step is getting through the doors," she said. "We're here, we can be your support system to help you and get that workout in."