Shayne Smith has spent most of the 24 years of his life proving people wrong.

Those people range from doctors who didn’t give him much of a chance to live after Mr. Smith contracted a form of meningitis at just four months old, to coaches who watched as it took four years for him to sink his first shot in wheelchair basketball, a sport he went on to star in for Canada at the national junior level.

Through it all, even friends and family had doubts as he moved forward in life without both legs, one arm and half of each finger on the other arm as a result of the meningitis.

However, the doubters did not get in the way of Mr. Smith and his dreams, and if anything they served as motivation.

“If somebody tells me I can’t do something, the first thing on my mind is to find a way to do it. I will find a way to lift a house. I will find a way,” Mr. Smith said last week during a speech to students at the Uxbridge Montessori School. “That’s my mentality. That’s always been my mentality … I just wanted to do everything, especially if you told me I couldn’t.”

To that effect, his mentality has turned into his message.

Mr. Smith runs his own motivational speaking company and has made stops all over the world to pitch his message. Last week’s visit to Uxbridge originated through a Tutor Doctor outreach program called ‘The Why Factor’.

Having shared his story and spoken in front of large crowds in the hundreds, this presentation was one of Mr. Smith’s smallest, though that didn’t make it any less important, he says.

“Coming into a little room like this, it’s nice because I can kind of be quiet and calm whereas when I go to a big room with 500 kids I am more animated and I yell and I joke and it’s very different. Both have their advantages for sure,” he said. “Obviously with one I get to reach more people, but when it’s a smaller group I really know that I can reach someone’s heart.”

That he did.

After hearing Mr. Smith, who lives in Toronto, share some of his most intimate stories of success and setbacks, many of the students on hand spoke up to share stories of their own. Some were serious stories about family issues and others were lighter stories surrounding a personal achievement or two.

With that, Mr. Smith felt like his job for the day was accomplished.

“What I get out of (motivational speaking) is the chance to help even just one student,” he said. “I had that one girl share a story about her father, so just being able to reach her, that’s what I get out of it. It’s such a great feeling.”

SHAYNE will be speaking at our “CELEBRATION HO– USE™: EDUCATION & EVENT CENTER” on NOVEMBER 28, with % proceeds to the MOVEMBER FOUNDATION, to motivate and share with YOU!

 

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Often it’s the funds raised by a charity that are most remembered, but at Movember the awareness raised through the power of the moustache is equally as important. The growth of a new moustache prompts a conversation, which in turn generates awareness and educates people on the health issues men face. Awareness and education then prompts people to take action and change behavior, which is changing and saving lives today.

WHAT BEHAVIOR ARE WE LOOKING TO CHANGE?
On average men die five to six years younger than women. The suicide rate is four times higher for men than women and more than five men die prematurely each hour from potentially preventable illnesses.

From Movember’s perspective the reasons for the poor state of men’s health include:

* Lack of awareness and understanding of the health issues men face
* Men not openly discussing their health and how they’re feeling
* Reluctance to seek help when men don’t feel physical or mentally well
* Men engaging in risky activities that threaten their health
* Stigmas surrounding mental health

These reasons can and are being addressed by Movember’s Awareness and Education program.

HOW DO WE TAKE ACTION?
Movember’s tagline, changing the face of men’s health, describes the challenge of participating in Movember – changing your appearance by growing a moustache for 30 days, and the outcome – changing the understanding and attitudes men have towards their health. The Mo is Movember’s ribbon, it’s the catalyst for change.

Some of the funds raised are used to run the annual Movember campaign, which inspires literally billions of conversations. Additionally some funds are used to create and maintain engaging resources, which educate men on the health risks they face, how to stay healthy and how to take action if they become ill. The Movember website is the ultimate hub for all of this information. Movember also hosts and attends events throughout the year where we deliver health related information in a fun and engaging way.

IS IT WORKING?
Absolutely, but there is always more work to be done!

Our community share stories about how their Mo helped others learn about health issues, and this video captures how one Mo got another man to take action resulting in a life-changing diagnosis.

To make change we need to raise it, donate to my #Movember effort. http://mosista.co/ACelebrationofWomen

Jody and Riaz talk with motivation speaker Shayne Smith.

 

REGISTER TODAY – LIMITED SPACE