Ward toughens up mental approach with Steadman
STEVIE WARD has teamed up with SAS: Who Dares Wins champion Lauren Steadman to tackle the stigma of mental health.
The Leeds Rhinos skipper has become a leading campaigner since suffering his own depression problems over the years.
And he admits he jumped at the chance to work with threetime paralympian Steadman, after being introduced by TV personality Helen Skelton.
Ward said: “We have both competed in some of the toughest competitions and achieved great heights in our fields. But we both firmly believe our strength in mind is our greatest fuel, powering us through adversity.”
The pair have designed a T-shirt that went on sale yesterday to coincide with the start of Men’s Health Week.Ward said: “We talked about what we could do together and came up with this specially designed T-shirt with 100 per cent of the profits going to Young Minds.”
Steadman, who was born without her lower right arm, said: “There is never a perfect mindset but a positive confident optimistic mindset will get you far.”
The 2018 Strictly Come Dancing star overcame huge challenges to be crowned 2020 SAS: Who Dares Wins champion jointly with DJ Locksmith.
It was during the gruelling course that Steadman revealed her mental health campaign plans to fellow finalist Skelton, wife of Rhinos halfback Richie Myler.
Ward said: “Helen linked us up because we are doing similar things, me with Mantality and Lauren with her mental health mission, Sizu.”
Ward set up on-line Mantality mental health magazine in 2016 after sinking into depression when injury ruled him out of Leeds’ historic treble the previous year.
He has been forced to draw on his own mental strength since suffering a head injury in early February.
He said: “I’m trying not to get stressed by missing out on training.” ●The Strength in Mind T-shirt, can be ordered from mantality apparel.com and sizu-minds. myshopify.com