Rowing Together for Healthy Minds (RTMH), was started in memory of René Zamudio, who took his own life in January 2017. René learnt to row as an undergraduate student at Bristol University before continuing his studies and training at Imperial College. René shone with confidence and charisma, and his death was a colossal shock, as for many similar cases, he was the last person you would think to be suffering from mental health issues. His loss will always be felt.
RTHM aspires to raise the profile of mental health in rowing, to inform athletes and coaches about the symptoms of depression and other disorders, and ultimately to make it easier for someone like René to reach out for help in future.
RTHM aims to do this by:
- Partnering with boat clubs across the UK. They are mainly focusing on student clubs, but are also looking forward to working with non-academic groups.
- Selling their universal charity tech tops. These high-quality Rival Kit tops will be worn by athletes from all clubs at races throughout 2019 including BUCS Head and Regatta, Quintin Head and the Head of the River Races. They are available on the Rival Kit website, just search ‘Rival Kit RTHM’.
- Supplying a free poster to all affiliated clubs that outlines the club’s commitment to prioritising the mental health of its athletes.
- Donating all profits to their partner charity, Mind. They offer information about mental health and provide support to anyone affected by these issues.
- Inform and educate others on mental health via their social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Do you row for a club that would like to join the campaign? Get in touch via email at rthm.ukmind@gmail.com
If you are worried about yourself or someone you might know who might be struggling with mental health issues, we encourage you to talk to those close to you, and head to www.mind.org.uk/ for information and support.
