Raising awareness for mental health

By Melissa Piche Times Contributor

Carter Armstrong is turning pain into purpose, one kilometre at a time. 

The Ontario man is currently running from Vancouver toward Ontario to raise awareness for mental health and advocate for faster access to counselling and support services. 

Along the way, Armstrong has been sharing the deeply personal story that inspired his journey, which made its way through Strathmore last week.

“I went through a really hard time,” Armstrong said. “I lost my buddy to suicide two years ago.” 

Armstrong said as he recounted his own personal mental health challenges.

Despite the struggle, Armstrong said his mental health issues have given him a new perspective.

After one particularly hard day, Armstrong went for a run – a moment he says changed everything. 

“I had the thought, ‘I want to help someone, inspire someone that was in the same position as I am in,’” said the 23-year-old.

Armstrong hopes his journey encourages more open conversations about mental health, particularly among men.

“There’s a lot of guys that think it’s weak to not be okay,” he said. 

There is a stigma still attached to mental health that Armstrong hopes will eventually get better.

He says fundraising is also a major part of the mission, with hopes the money raised can help improve access to mental health care. He is collecting donations for the Canadian Mental Health Association and so far, has raised upwards of $15,000.

“Hopefully the funds go towards making mental health help faster,” Armstrong explained. 

Half of the battle is accessing mental health resources in a timely fashion. Armstrong explained how one time he went looking for a councillor and he was going to have to wait three months. He also pointed to the high cost of private therapy as another barrier many Canadians face.

Armstrong began his run in Vancouver on April 10 after flying in from his hometown in Ontario. As he passed through Strathmore on May 13, he said so far, he’s run about 1,000 kilometres and hopes one day to run across the entire country.

“But it’s very expensive on the road,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ll get a brand deal or something. They can pay for me to go the rest of the way through Canada, hopefully.”

As he continues eastward, Armstrong says support from communities along the way keeps him moving forward. 

People can follow his journey on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by searching Carter Armstrong.