Grenfell -
Those who suffer from mental illness often hide it from others, thinking that it's something to be ashamed of. Wayne Cho has sacrificed everything to prove otherwise.
Cho is running across Canada to raise awareness about mental illness and dispell the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.
He says that mental illness affects approximately 20 per cent of the population, but that many of them never seek treatment due to fears of seeming 'crazy' or weak.
Cho stopped by the Grenfell Health Center last week to share his story.
He believes so strongly in his cause that he's given up his job, his car and his life savings to make the journey.
His trek will take him from Saint John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia, a whopping 8,400 km. Since he started out, he has spent roughly $60,000, his entire life savings.
"I'm trying to make a point - I have to keep going. It's just like anything else in life, you have challenges. Like mental illness, anxiety and depression - I believe there's a way of overcoming all the challenges we have and becoming a stronger person."
Since the age of eight, Cho himself has suffered from general anxiety disorder, but for years he didn't realize anything was wrong.
"I would wake up in the morning and worry about everything, every single little thing," he said. "It affected my life, it affected my work but I just didn't know. I didn't have any knowledge about that."
It wasn't until just a few years ago while he was studying psychology in University that he realized something was wrong.
"When I found out, I was kind of shocked at the fact that I had mental illness because there's a lot of stigma attached to it."
Since then he's not only come to terms with his condition, he's also made it his goal to teach others that mental illness doesn't only affect the weak, and that it's okay to ask for help.
"I want everyone to know that anxiety and depression can affect anyone, we don't have to hide it."
One common myth he's trying to clear up is the belief that sufferers of mental illness can simply 'snap out of it.'
"You wouldn't say the same thing to someone with diabetes or cancer; you can't snap out of it, because it has real biological effects on your body. It's an illness, it's a condition that needs professional help."
Although Cho's main reason for running is to help others, he's helping himself at the same time.
"Exercise is very beneficial to treating and preventing symptoms of anxiety and depression," he said. "Every day that I run, I feel relief from the anxiety symptoms."
Along the way he has stopped at various arenas and community centers to shower whenever he gets a chance, and spends most of his nights in a motor home.
"I actually slept in there when it was minus forty," he said. "It's been a challenge, but I have to do what I have to do. As hard as it is running across Canada, suffering from anxiety and depression is much harder."
With all of his funds used up, Cho is now relying on personal loans and donations to keep him going.
"But there are people who have lost their lives due to anxiety and depression," he said. "People struggle so much. I know, because I suffered from it. So the price I have to pay - you can't measure the price of a human life."
