Jake Edwards spent 4 years at the Carlton Football Club, following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather who also played Australian Rules Football.

Yet in a twist of events he went from a young man on six figures a year with the world at his feet, to having just 45 cents to his name and a drug addiction.

This was a guy came from a supportive, loving family, he had great menotrs in his older brothers, a relationship, he had landed his dream career and had lots of support… So what happened?

Jake had been diagnosed with depression as a young man and this mental illness on top of the pressure of his career all became too much.

Jake’s life took a dangerous path due to a lack of understanding and treatment for his mental illness, one that as a young man he admits he “couldn’t comprehend”.

Jake found it difficult to understand why he was experiencing such emotional turmoil when on the outside his life was going so well.

As you will hear throughout the podcast Jake’s attempts to manage his stress and just get on with things made his sympotms much much worse.

He found him self in a very dark place when he eventually attempted suicide in 2014. He felt was the only way out of his depression. The failed attempt and the second chance at life saw him begin to turn his life around beginning with rehab.

Today, Jake is a leading mental health advocate who uses his personal experiences to deliver his message.

Jake founded the nation wide successful welfare and education organisation “Outside The Locker Room”, which is dedicated to working alongside local sporting clubs, offering mentoring support and education on topics such as drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence, depression and suicide.

Outside The Locker Room (http://www.outsidethelockerroom.com.au) supports over 3,000 young adults and their families today in our communities.

It has rolled out in more than 60 sporting clubs Australia wide and they have the vision to be Australia’s number one Welfare and Educational platform for community sport. They are also an evidence based program and I am so impressed by the quality of this work.

Local sporting clubs become more than just a place of training – they beome a place of community and family. Outside the locker room mentors, educates and supports players away from the sporting club.

Jake is an example that anyone of us can have our mental health affected at some point. Investing in our emotoional, spiritual and physical health, like Jake and I discuss are all a part of the big picture and something we can make part of our weekly routine so that we can foster resilience.

So without any further ado, I bring you the incredible Jake Edwards.

-Jake's recommended book was The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters