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When a teammate ended her own life, Lauren and the rest of the team were devastated — none of them saw it coming.

“We’d known about our teammate’s struggles with anxiety and depression, but not the severity of them,” Lauren says. “We were such a tight-knit team, yet we had no idea.”

For a long time she and the others couldn’t cope with the sorrow, shock and guilt. They’d show up for practice only to cry through it.

Gradually Lauren’s frustration at not having noticed any warning signs sharpened into determination to gain the awareness they’d lacked. Further, to share that awareness, so that future troubled young athletes would have the chance Lauren’s friend didn’t: to talk and confide without feeling embarrassed. To understand that they are not alone — that help is available.

“I discovered strategies coaches could implement, from ones as simple as teaching breathing techniques to calm yourself, to having group counselling and talking openly about mental health. And, very important, to having everyone regularly check in with each other.”

Lauren realized that, far from being a weakness, getting by day after day with mental health challenges shows incredible resilience. Suddenly the awareness movement she had started took on added potential. Why not put move into the movement?

In honour of her late friend, Lauren organized what has become an annual 5K Resilience Run and Rally. “Bringing UCLA athletes together on the move was extremely positive, so uplifting. Resilience Rally is about ending the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide. It is a global mental health movement that provides affordable therapy, events, resources, workshops and a sense of community to its members.”

Within hours of posting information about the run on Instagram, Lauren attracted hundreds of followers. Now the Resilience Run occurs worldwide. In Toronto, the most recent occurred Saturday, May 11, near Harbourfront Centre. As a doctor commented to Lauren, the Resilience movement proves that out of great tragedy can come great opportunity.

As the founder and leader of the movement, Lauren says it was “¹Ü¼ÒÆÅ×îÈ«Ãâ·Ñ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« that helped me grow my confidence; made me realize that whatever I put my mind to, I could do. You sit in assemblies and hear ¹Ü¼ÒÆÅ×îÈ«Ãâ·Ñ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« grads say yes, you can do anything you want. And for building a sense of leadership, my rowing coaches at ¹Ü¼ÒÆÅ×îÈ«Ãâ·Ñ×ÊÁÏ´óÈ«, like Head Coach Scott Fleming, took an interest not only in our skills as rowers, but in our overall well-being and in inspiring us.”

In turn, says Lauren, “I wanted to be that source of inspiration for other people, to be part of a support system when they need encouragement.”

Now a lawyer in Toronto at O’Donohue & O’Donohue, Lauren continues to promote mental health awareness by continuing the Resilience movement. “Our goal is to spread that awareness to student athletes at university and even high schools. To make sure young athletes know how to support themselves and their teammates.”

The challenge, says Lauren, is that mental illness is an invisible disease. “But, as my mom has pointed out, it’s no different than having a visible illness such as a broken leg. For both of them, you have to get treatment.”