Two Growers and a Mover
Mark Zecchino, Adam Scully, and Bob Weeks, hosts of Golf Talk Canada are Growing and Moving for Movember. Adam and Mark are Growing and Bob is running 60 km for the 60 men who die by suicide every hour across the globe. Their initial goal was to raise $3,000, but they quickly surpassed that after only eight days of fundraising. The trio recently reset their goal to $5,000, but it’s looking like they will surpass that benchmark as well.
How it all started
Adam first learned about Movember through watching sports and seeing his favorite hockey players growing moustaches in November. Mark, was curious about the growing number of moustaches he saw guys rocking which led him to do the research and start asking questions about the meaning behind the Mo. He remembers Movember when prostate cancer was the sole cause area, and he has Adam to thank for bringing Movember back into their orbit as mental health and suicide prevention became a key cause area.
Three generations of golf and men’s health enthusiasts
“The cool thing about our show Golf Talk Canada, is that the 3 of us Bob, Mark and I are all from different generations. Bob is 65, Mark is 49, and I'm 32.” This Movember, the hosts are hoping to encourage their male audience to take charge of their health and be vigilant about getting regular check-ups. When it comes to golf, the guys make a point of not taking themselves too seriously. For them, it’s more about the time spent outdoors and the opportunity to connect with your friends and loved ones on the green. Adam says, “There's a reason a lot of us don't play the game for a living because we're not that good at it. Don't take yourself too seriously. Go and have some fun, make some jokes, and try to get to know people in different ways.”
Starting conversations about mental health
“The Mental health side of Movember really intrigued me, the fact that we talk about this now is so important. Golf can be very cruel. You don’t get to go out on a field with a bunch of teammates and share the successes and share the blame. You’re out there by yourself, and it can take its toll on you.” The game can have a huge mental strain and without resources or modeling of what healthy conversations among men look like, some young men are at a loss for what to do. Mark is grateful for Adam’s support in their business and credits him for sparing him a lot of mental anguish and anxiety. This month, Mark is encouraging their audience to drop the macho for November.“Talk to people if you need help, talk to people if you need information, if you have questions, or if you just need to get stuff off your chest. It takes way more strength to be vulnerable than it does to stay quiet.”
You good?
Mark reflected, “Sometimes men communicate like Neanderthals. They really do. And it's basically, I think, a defense mechanism. And I use it all the time. But if I have a hunch that maybe things aren't as great as they should be, or there's potentially something that someone I love is going through, I'll simply just text them, you good? I don't know why, but for some reason we receive that more easily.”
Mark remembers when Adam lost his dad last year that he reached out by texting him, “You good?” And for Adam that was enough. From there Adam was able to share how he was doing, and Mark was there to listen and validate how he’s feeling. It was that simple. Mark also went the extra mile by reaching out to Adam’s support system, his fiancée.
How the hosts maintain their mental health
Adam, a former hockey player remembers the breathing techniques he learned during his hockey days and uses similar methods to bring himself back to equilibrium when he’s feeling out of control. Fitness is another way Adam keeps his mental health in check. “Now that I’m a head on television, sometimes I wear shirts that are too tight and work the upper body too much, but working out has always been a really good outlet for my mental health.” Mark says he still has room to grow. “I'm not. I'm not great at it. I need to figure out techniques, some people have suggested stuff like yoga, or meditation - but all these things take time. My biggest challenge, is making the time for it.”
Creating awareness that lasts well beyond November
Adam and Mark hope that they can continue to inspire their audience. They want to keep surpassing their fundraising goals and continue to emphasize the importance of mental health and checking in on your friends. “What I'm really hoping is that, because we're talking about it so much, that it stays top of mind for people. So, when, people shave their moustaches and go back to the regular lives - we hope to have generated enough awareness, and sparked enough discussion, where it's still in focus for the remainder of the year. I think that would be the biggest win.”
You can listen to Golf Talk Canada here, and you can help Adam, Mark, and Bob continue to surpass their fundraising goals by donating here