Glenn To Share Wisdom

Date: January 27, 2012 / Posted by control

By Brian Oliver, Great Southern Herald, 25 January 2012 –

For more than two decades Glenn Mitchell had arguably the best job in the world.

As a sports commentator for the ABC, starting in 1990, Mitchell had the best seat in the house for the world’s biggest sporting events.

He covered four Olympics, four Commonwealth Games and two Paralympic Games, called more than 190 international cricket matches and was the familiar voice behind the ABC’s coverage of AFL and WAFL games.

Last May though, the father-of-one, married to fellow sports broadcaster Karen Tighe, quit the ABC after 21 years of service following a five-year battle with a mental illness which climaxed last June when he tried to take his own life.

After publicly sharing his personal battle with mental illness and his darkest days, Mitchell is back behind the microphone, this time for One Life, a suicide prevention organization.

Next Friday, 3 February, Mitchell will be the guest speaker at a luncheon at Katanning as part of the One Life Suicide Prevention Strategy.

One Life’s Wheatbelt network co-ordinator Jane Mouritz said the suicide prevention presentation was aimed at rural experiences and men’s well being.

“Regrettably, statistics show that too many suicide incidents happen in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern,” she said.

Each year in WA more than 200 people take their own lives and an even greater number harm themselves in suicide attempts.

Ms Mouritz said in 2010 the State Government committed $13 million over four years for the One Life Suicide Prevention Strategy to address the high rate of suicide in WA.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that people everywhere, who might feel at risk, have better coping skills,” she said.

“That they are surrounded by better community support and many more caring people who have a better understanding of mental illness signs and who are better equipped to provide timely support.”

There will be three different suicide prevention workshops held simultaneously on February 3 at the Katanning Leisure Centre, which will be followed by a lunch at noon where Mitchell is the guest speaker.

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