Zac McHugh, founder of Change of Pace, brings his personal recovery experience to a fitness gym in Squamish, aiming to provide support and mentorship [image: istockphoto]
Zac McHugh, a frontline support worker at Squamish Helping Hands Society — and an experienced athlete and Cross Fit instructor — has introduced a new program which is held at Rebel Fitness/Howe Sound Crossfit gym in Squamish, British Columbia. The pilot project currently meets Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Zac’s aim is to create a healthy, supportive environment for all men in the community, using weightlifting, strength and conditioning, skill development, yoga, mobility practices, nutrition, food preparation and other approaches. What’s even more unique about this project is that Zac (and other mentors) will be prepared to connect men in adversity to available community and support resources.
We come from a culture where if I’m struggling with things I will just white knuckle it, instead of accepting support from my community . . . Every day I’m exposed to men with nowhere to go and nothing to do and no mentorship or guidance. — Zac McHugh, comments to CBC News
Zac McHugh has personal experience with adversity and recovery
“I come from a background of abuse, poverty, drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, depression, jail,” McHugh told the Squamish Reporter. “It wasn’t until I found a healthy community that encouraged me to do better, be healthier, and be stronger that I was able to let go of the person I was.”
After volunteering and working at Squamish Helping Hands Society, Zac (pictured left) found that “many men are ill informed about what gaining support from your community means, and unaware there are reasons these supports exist in our community.”
Zac is also a yoga instructor, weightlifting coach, Crossfit Instructor, and athlete. He says that exposure to healthy communities and the growth they have provided in his own life have inspired him to create a healthy supportive community for the men of Squamish.
I’m working hard to make connections and develop relationships in our community because I believe everyone should belong to a community that gives healthy proactive support no matter what adversity they may be facing. — Zac McHugh, in the Squamish Reporter
We speak with Zac McHugh.
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Left-click to listen; right-click to save.
audio | Change of Pace #mentalhealth #mensmentalhealth @movember #movember #Squamish https://t.co/wdvDz1xQto pic.twitter.com/tNblrdjRvk
— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) November 20, 2015
video
Change of Pace pitch video Social Venture Challenge from Change of Pace on Vimeo.
