Tremendous Upside

When Brian Dawkins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he took the stage in front of tens of thousands of fans -- and he got personal. He used his speech to talk about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Dawkins talks with host Chamique Holdsclaw about his unlikely path to the NFL, his rock-bottom moment, and how he got over the embarrassment of talking about his feelings: "When you begin to talk to people, what happens is the weight that you had is cut in half."

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can text the word HOME to 741-741, or call 1-800-273-TALK.

Check out our sponsors this week:

ThirdLove - thirdlove.com/upside
Indeed - indeed.com/upside

As Kenny Anderson says, "Basketball is easy. Life is hard.” Kenny was one of the best high school basketball players of all time, but his early success hid the trauma of his childhood. Now retired from the NBA, he talks to host Chamique Holdsclaw about how he went from trying to mask the pain to addressing it head on. The biggest thing he says he's learned about mental health? If you need help, ask for it.

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Check out our sponsors this week:

Bevel - getbevel.com/upside

ThirdLove - thirdlove.com/upside

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Beginning

(00:10:10) Middle

(00:20:20) End

Suzy Favor Hamilton once clocked in as the fastest female middle-distance runner in the world. But after an epic fall on the track at the 2000 Olympics, her career was over. She worked to build a life outside of running, but struggled with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Her private life became shockingly public when reporters revealed that she was working as an escort in Las Vegas. Suzy talks with host Chamique Holdsclaw about how she finally got a productive diagnosis, and worked to reclaim her own story.

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can text the word HOME to 741-741, or call 1-800-273-TALK.

Theo Fleury hit the ice at age five. He was a hockey phenom at 14, a Stanley Cup champion at 20 and an Olympic gold medalist at 33. He was also keeping a terrible secret. As a teen, he was sexually assaulted by one of his coaches. Hockey became an escape, but it couldn’t fix everything; he faced addiction and suicidal thoughts. Today, Theo is sober, and he talks with host Chamique Holdsclaw about what it took to get there.

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can text the word HOME to 741-741, or call 1-800-273-TALK.

Check out our sponsors this week:

Bevel - getbevel.com/upside

In 1999, goalie Briana Scurry delivered the epic game-deciding save that won the Women's World Cup for the U.S. But the two-time Olympic gold medalist considers her most important accomplishment to be advocating on behalf of people with traumatic brain injuries. After she took a knee to the head during a game in 2010, she went down a three-year-long path of pain, isolation, and depression. But she fought for herself, got the help she needed and vowed to help others suffering after concussions.

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Check out our sponsors this week:

Indeed - indeed.com/upside

Chamique talks with her childhood friend, NBA All-Star Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, about anger, meditation and that infamous night in Detroit. World Peace grew up in the Queensbridge housing project, and found himself making millions in the NBA at 19. What happens when you achieve your dream, but you're not ready for it?

You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @Tremendous_Pod. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TremendousPod. You can follow Chamique Holdsclaw on Twitter and Instagram using @Chold1.

Tremendous Upside is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at tremendousupside.org/donate.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Check out our sponsors this week:

Bevel - getbevel.com/upside

ThirdLove - thirdlove.com/upside

When they’re playing, they’re perfect: superstars at the top of their game. But when the crowds go home and the cameras turn off, there’s a side to athletes that people rarely see. Six-time WNBA All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw talks with top athletes about the realities of mental health in the world of sports. Coming January 13.