If there was anyone who had reason to stay out of the mental health spotlight, it was John Kirwan.
The man is a New Zealand rugby legend. One of the best to ever set foot on the field. If you need evidence, check out this moment when he was playing for the All Blacks and single-handedly cut through 15 burly Italians to score one of the tries of the century.
Rugby has a lot of machismo. Probably too much. So one can only imagine the pride and pressure one must feel at the top of the game to keep up appearances.
However, 10 years ago, Kirwan broke with all tradition and spoke out publicly about his battle with depression.
You couldn’t miss him. He was all over billboards and the evening ad breaks (No Netflix yet, folks!). And his message was simple and clear: depression and mental health challenges are real, and it’s ok to talk about them.
I’ll be honest, I dismissed his message at the time. In New Zealand, mental health just wasn’t spoken about in school, with friends, or even among family members.
It’s only now that I can connect the dots.
Over last few years we’ve seen a societal shift on this issue. It’s now normal to talk about healthy professional boundaries, taking time-off to recharge, and to admit when we’re not feeling 100%.
We can have these conversations because of the great work of many brave people, but there is a reason why I specifically remember John Kirwan.
In a time and environment when he was seen by many as the epitome of strength and masculinity, he spoke publicly on a very real issue; one that was deeply personal and laced in stigma.
Someone of his pedigree could’ve comfortably hidden behind their fame. Someone of his wealth could’ve funded and fought the battle privately.
But when someone like John Kirwan is brave enough to tell their unexpected story, suddenly there’s an audience.