Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw hosts new podcast about athletes and mental health in Tremendous Upside
New series from the team behind The Hilarious World of Depression to be launched by APM Podcasts and HealthPartners next month
ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 16, 2019— Former WNBA player and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member Chamique Holdsclaw continues her mental health advocacy in Tremendous Upside, a new podcast from American Public Media, to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in athletes. Produced by the team behind the award-winning podcast The Hilarious World of Depression, Tremendous Upside launches January 13.
Admiredfor their strength, speed and skills, athletes can seem invincible. However,many face adversities that are invisible to fans. In recent years, more andmore top athletes have come forward to openlyaddress their depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and other mentalhealth issues.
In Tremendous Upside, Holdsclaw has honest conversations about mental health with other pro athletes—and lets fans in on a side of them that’s rarely, if ever, seen. Listen to the trailer here.
“Depression, demands on a body, the body breaking down, dealingwith family stuff; it can take a toll on a person,” said Holdsclaw. “You have to have that perfect image, say and do the rightthings. We just try to be so brave and portray this level of dominance, and'I'm invincible'—but we know.”
Holdsclaw lives with depression and bipolar disorder and has become a widely recognized and respected mental health advocate. She is candid about her journey and hopes to inspire others to seek help.
Early Access & Featured Guests
The first episode of Tremendous Upside features Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest). At a time when the subject was still taboo, Metta publicly thanked his therapist after he won an NBA Championship. In this episode, Metta opens up to Holdsclaw about his upbringing, the experience of getting drafted into the NBA at a young age and the battle inside his head.
This episode is available for early listening to anyone whodonates to support the podcast by December 31. Listeners can donate here.
Later inthe season, Tremendous Upside will also feature interviews with StanleyCup Champion Theo Fleury, three-time-Olympian runner Suzy Favor Hamilton, WorldCup Champion goalkeeper Briana Scurry and more.
Tremendous Upside is produced by APM and created in partnership with HealthPartners’ Make It OK campaign, which aims to reduce stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Previous collaborations include The Hilarious World of Depression, a podcast in which comedians and other celebrities open up about their mental health. The Make It Ok campaign also provides resources to help people start conversations about mental illnesses with tips and talking points.
Listeners can find Tremendous Upside on Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms.Learn more at www.tremendousupside.org.
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About American Public Media
American Public Media® (APM) is the national programming and distribution division of American Public Media Group and reaches 19 million listeners via approximately 1,000 radio stations nationwide each week. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programs in the nation. APM offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. For more information on APM, visit americanpublicmedia.org. Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Spring ‘19.
About HealthPartners
HealthPartners is the largest consumer-governed, non-profit health care organization in the nation with a mission to improve health and well-being in partnership with members, patients and the community. For more information, visit healthpartners.com.
About Make It OK
Launched in 2013 by HealthPartners, Make It OK is a campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illnesses by changing the hearts and minds about the misperceptions of mental illnesses through encouraging open conversations and education on the topic. Make It OK offers resources to help people globally through personal stories of people living with a mental illness, and information and tips on how to talk about mental illnesses.