Roland Vandal: Giving back to the community that saved him
Winner of the 2017 “Our Manitoba Heroes Award”
Public speaker, mental health advocate and acclaimed author Roland Vandal has become well-known in Winnipeg for his philanthropic activities, his community service and his support of the boxing community in Manitoba, Canada.
Now in his mid-forties, Vandal has a life he once never thought possible. He has worked hard and battled Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to get to where he is today. He is a survivor – a survivor of a difficult childhood and of sexual abuse, which led him down a path that nearly took his life 16 years ago.
As a youth Vandal was sexually abused by a trusted coach. Following the abuse he sought solace in drugs, sex, violence and alcohol to evade the traumatic memories of years past, and at 30 years old he had hit rock bottom - he was suicidal and broken. “I remember I must have been out for hours and when I woke up (from an overdose) I could hear people in the hallways, but I couldn’t move or cry out,” said Vandal. “Something spiritual happened to me that day. It’s hard to describe but I became conscious – all I could think of was that my son was going to grow up without a father. I should have died that day but I didn’t. I knew in that moment that I needed to change. I had to break the cycle, and I needed to help others.”
Vandal has been sober now for 16 years and gives credit to his incredible support system for helping him deal with his mental health condition. PTSD continues to impact his life, but he has learned to manage it so that it does not rule his life as it once did.
Going from struggling addict to community leader, Vandal felt it was time to tell his story, breaking the silence and aiding his healing. In March 2015 Vandal’s book entitled Off the Ropes: My Story was released Canada-wide at the same time as the CBC documentary “The Wounded Healer: The Roland Vandal Story” aired across Manitoba. A year later, in May 2016, the documentary aired nationally on CBC.
The sky is the limit for this Métis entrepreneur and father of two as preparations begin to take shape for a movie depicting his life, based on his recent book Off the Ropes: My Story.
Vandal has built his life around advocating for the Indigenous community, advocating for mental health and giving back to the community that saved him. His experience has enabled him to travel the world and positively impact youth from all over the globe. He has presented in over 700 venues in Canada and the United States.
Over the last decade Vandal has been recognized for his contributions to his community through various nominations and accolades, including being named one of the Top 100 Most Fascinating People in Manitoba in the Metro Newspaper in 2014; nominated for the Commitment Award of Manitoba by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission in 2014 and 2016; named one of the Top 100 Speakers and Community Leaders in Canada and the US in 2015 by the John C Maxwell Team in Orlando, Florida and in the same year Vandal was awarded the TJ’s Champions Award at the TJ’s Gift Foundation Gala dinner. In 2016 Vandal was named one of Manitoba’s Finest by the Kidney Foundation of Manitoba and most recently he was awarded the 2017 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s
Difference Makers Award as one of the top 150 leaders in Canada for mental health awareness.
A trained journeyman, Vandal has followed his passions over the years and has dabbled in a few different trades, from business owner and motivational speaker to coach and actor – all of which continue to play significant roles in his life.
Vandal currently owns and operates a Level 5 Stabilized Youth Foster Treatment Home for children aging out of care or on extensions of care, in addition to operating a treatment foster home. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Red Road Lodge Recovery Homeless Mission. A boxing enthusiast his whole life, Vandal never let his past influence his love for the sport. In addition to coaching boxing, Vandal also competed in the sport as an amateur athlete and later as a professional. He currently co-owns and operates Stingers Boxing Academy in the area of East Kildonan in Winnipeg with the goal of using the power of sport to positively affect and change lives.
The sky is the limit for this Métis entrepreneur and father of two as preparations begin to take shape for a movie depicting his life, based on his recent book Off the Ropes: My Story.
Visit www.breakingthechain.ca for more information on Roland Vandal and his story.
I think of all the people who have helped me; now I believe it’s my duty to pay it forward.