THE SERIES
Where IDENTITY and BRAIN HEALTH intersect.
IDENTITY, a thirteen episode first season docuseries, will shine a light on the issues, ask the hard questions, face head on our "what do you do" culture and address the stigma around brain health in athletes. By changing the conversation around brain health in the world’s sporting idols, IDENTITY will start to change the conversation around brain health, human identity and achievement in society as a whole.
THERE IS NO FINISH LINE.
Over the past two years we’ve seen major names like Michael Phelps, Kevin Love and Ronda Rousey start to open up publicly about their personal struggles with brain health and yet, earlier this year, Olympic track cycling medalist Kelly Catlin ended her own life. Why? Because brain health - commonly referred to as mental health - still carries such a heavy stigma, one that is especially devastating to athletes whose physical machine and performance is their identity.
While discussions in this socially conscious zeitgeist are becoming more frequent, very little policy changes have occurred. We believe, by changing the conversation in the sporting world, we can pave the way for a change in society as a whole. In order to understand what changes need to be made we need to be willing to deep dive into the brain health epidemic. And, what better example than in the athletic community, where the demands on the mind and brain are exacerbated by the highly competitive nature of the athlete’s identity.
QUICKSTATS:
•There are over 750,000 athletes in the NCAA, more than 150,000 student athletes struggle with brain health.
•One in five American Adults (46.6 milion) experience mental illness in a given year.
•Nearly half of American youth struggle with mental health before age 18.
•Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in people ages10-34.
•In 2013 the NCAA’s Chief Medical Officer declared mental health as the number 1 health and safety concern, yet no mandates have come into effect.
