15: Double Suicide Attempt Survivor & Pro Golfer in Canada to Mental Health Ambassador // The Story of Andrew Jensen

Andrew Jensen is a professional golfer and mental health Bell Let’s Talk Ambassador. In his teens, Andrew began to suffer with depression, culminating in a suicide attempt at 16 years old. In those difficult teenage years, golf was his refuge and the one place he felt meaning and purpose. It wasn’t until having to deal with the immense stress and pressure of professional golf that the game became his undoing.  After struggling through an extremely difficult rookie campaign in 2008, being dropped by his sponsors in 2009, and finally an injury in 2010, Andrew’s poor play and off course struggles re-opened the door for his depression and suicidal thoughts to enter his life. His 2011 season was his worst to date, forcing him to retire and give up on the game he loved for so many years. In the fall of 2011, two failed suicide attempts in a 3-week span had Andrew hospitalized. Most importantly, he was finally ready to get help and walk a road of recovery towards better health.  Returning to professional golf in 2013, Andrew gained status PGA Tour Canada. Though his starts were sparse, the Tour took it upon themselves to share Andrew’s story of strength and courage on the PGA Tour Canada TV show and YouTube channel. The response Andrew received helped him fully realize his place as an advocate for mental health across Canada.  Andrew now finds himself at the forefront of the dialogue on mental health overall and as a Bell Let’s Talk Ambassador, and the effort to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health as a public speaker traveling the country and sharing his story with charities, schools, associations, and corporate Canada.   *** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. *** Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams). EP Tags: pro, golfer, canadian, suicide, attempt, mental, health, pga, ambassador, stress, support, professional, sports, relief

Om Podcasten

From Rock Bottom to Rockin' It explores personal stories about those who hit absolute rock bottom. Then got back up, wiped off the dust, kicked failure to the curb, and now they’re rockin’ it like you’d never believe. These interviews are intended to inspire, motivate, and give hope and vision to those in their rock bottom by sharing stories, tools, and the resources that our guests used to create their 'rockin' it' moments. Host Eric Gilbert-Williams is a Canadian Entrepreneur who faced hardships as a youth like bullying, learning disorders, drugs, and crime before discovering success through his entrepreneurial pursuits. During his times through these teen social challenges, he found self-esteem and the passion to change his life through listening to the inspirational stories of others who overcame deep hardships to create great success in their lives.