05/19/2026
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month 💚 SOOR athlete Malachi Cleland shares his experience and why mental health awareness is so important:
“My mental health as a Special Olympics athlete has always been up and down, but it’s gotten better the last couple of years. I have very deep depression from my experience just in regular life, but in Special Olympics, everything is better. My experience with healthcare providers has always been up and down, I get good doctors and dentists sometimes, but there’s always that one experience that’s messed me up and made me fearful of certain things like dentists. I’ve always found it hard to trust them.”
His experience is a reminder of why mental health awareness matters. So that people feel heard, supported, and safe in every space they enter.
Taking care of your mental health can look different for everyone. Reaching out to someone you trust, taking time to rest, staying active, or finding supportive communities where you feel accepted and understood. Small steps matter, and no one should have to navigate their mental health alone.
