Movember radio: Richie McCaw Talks tough guys taking action

Movember radio: Richie McCaw Talks tough guys taking action

Quick facts:
• Movember Foundation launches podcast series – Movember Radio
• All Black captain and legend Richie McCaw features as one of the first interviews available for download
• One man dies by suicide every minute, and three times as many men die of suicide than women
• Men aged between 35 and 54 years are at the greatest risk of social isolation and more likely to have mental health problems

Global charity The Movember Foundation is inspiring year-round men’s health conversations with this week’s launch of a podcast series – Movember Radio: Continuing the Conversation.

The series aims to lift the lid on society’s often damaging ideals about masculinity and challenge listeners to re-think what it really means to be a man. The podcast was launched, following International Men’s Health Week, and will run all year round with weekly episodes featuring new one-on-one interviews with inspiring men from around the globe.

All Black captain and Kiwi legend, Richie McCaw recently shared with Movember Radio how seemingly bulletproof men aren’t immune to the physical and mental struggles life throws everyone’s way.

“You just realise that you take for granted when you’re younger that you recover from things. From the outside everything can look sweet, like you’ve got it all under control, but someone could be having all sorts of problems, for all sorts of reasons,” says McCaw.

“Actually, one of the best things I’ve realised is talking with other people that have the same kind of thing, it takes the weight off your shoulders that it’s pretty normal to go through patches like that,” he said.

Richie has also provided insight into the pressures and expectations of captaining the current Rugby World Cup champions as well as how he builds in ways of managing the stress of such a role.

“You don’t become a bad player because of one game,” he says.

“The more we go on, the more we realise that rugby players are just like the general population. There are some people that suffer and being able to talk about it is key.”

Robert Dunne, NZ Country Manager, Movember Foundation says that Kiwi men often compare themselves against an ideal of a Kiwi bloke: strong, staunch and invincible.

“We’re challenging people around New Zealand to rethink what it means to be a man today with Movember Radio. Current perceptions are having a negative impact on Kiwi men, increasing their risk of mental health problems and even suicide. Movember Radio is our chance to positively engage them through hearing experiences from blokes who have faced and overcome their issues to achieve so much more, says Dunne.

“As a father of a young son myself, I hope he can grow up in a society where boys and men can speak openly about their challenges and inspire others so that it’s not about acting tough, it’s about taking action,” added Dunne.

As the world’s leading men’s health organisation, the Movember Foundation knows first-hand the key challenges faced by men today, many of which revolve around traditional stereotypes relating to masculinity and what it means to be a ‘man’. This can lead to reluctance to take action on well-being issues and an unwillingness to have conversations about significant life events.

With one man dying by suicide every minute around the world and three times as many men dying of suicide than women, the Foundation is determined to move the dial on the state of men’s health by highlighting these issues and continuing conversations that began with the growth of a hairy upper lip last Movember.

Research funded by the Movember Foundation found that men aged between 35 and 54 years are at the greatest risk of social isolation and more likely to have mental health problems, which can be an indication of suicide risk. These alarming statistics highlight the need for a continued and united effort to encourage men to have conversations about their health and well-being as well as put the issue on the global news agenda.

ENDS

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