Nick and Garnet answered questions pertaining to how they get their head in the game, how they help teammates if they're feeling down and ways they like to unwind and take their mind off the stresses of being a professional athlete.
Jenner Jensen is a Physician's Assistant and has seen first hand how the stigma surrounding mental health has affected people's lives. As a wife to a professional athlete in a world where everything can be criticized online, Jenner is passionate about helping raise awareness and encouraging the mental health discussion while removing the stigma that is wrongly associated with an often devastating disease.
"We [Nick and Jenner] were both high-level collegiate athletes and understand the highs and lows that come with expectations associated with performance and the constant influence of public opinion," Jenner said. "We also have close friends and family who struggle with mental health issues and we have seen how it can affect an individual when left untreated."
"For me it's more about bringing awareness, everyone experiences mental highs and lows and the immediate reaction is to not do anything about it," Nick said. "So I think bringing awareness to it helps people open up about it and realize that they can talk about these things."
Having professional athletes such as Garnet and Nick be involved in these conversations about mental health with fans is really important in order to continue to raise awareness about this difficult topic
Additionally, the Capitals are hosting their first Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness night in partnership with MedStar Health when the team hosts the New Jersey Devils on January 16th.
