Run for Joy 5K on Triad Today
On Saturday, October 21st, attorneys David Daggett and Griff Shuler appeared on Triad Today with Lawrie Beardsley, founder of the Run for Joy 5K. They discussed the upcoming event, which raises funds to promote mental health awareness and wellness among the medical trainee community. Watch the segment:
The Run for Joy 5K was founded in 2020, in memory of Ms. Beardsley’s daughter Katelyn who did not survive her own struggles with mental illness. Katelyn was a Wake Forest student in their Nurse Anesthetist program. While she often provided counseling to patients dealing with mental health issues, she kept her own struggles with anxiety and depression hidden. However, she helped herself deal with those issues through running, which is where the idea for the race started.
The race itself is geared at mental health trainees and practitioners, and serves to promote awareness and raise funds to further this cause. Medical professionals cope with a rigorous training program and it is not uncommon for students to develop issues. The race promotes the idea that “it’s ok to not be ok.” Through that message, the Run for Joy lets people know that mental health issues are common and nothing to hide.