TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — “It’s ok to not feel ok.”
With those six words, Magic Johnson hopes to save lives.
It’s one of the reasons why former Florida state football player Marvin Wilson and Game Time Preps founder Ed Hill founded Marvin’s Movement. To educate young teens on how to handle the challenges life will throw at them. And using Marvin's Movement’s partnership with Simply Healthcare they addressed the issue with one of the greatest athletes of all-time.
“We were doing stuff with Simply late last year. And they called me up and said look we’ll get you together, we’ll get Magic together, your kids together what do you think? And I said absolutely, who turns down Magic," Hill told ABC 27.
Johnson found a deep connection in improving the mental health of young teens. He says putting himself in the conversation along with other notable athletes like Kevin Love, Simone Biles, and Naomi Osaka who have made their mental health struggles public allows teens to feel more comfortable talking about this issue.
“These are strong, athletic people who they admire. And they know about so that was a trigger point for them to say oh wow if it happens to them and they’re out publicly talking about their mental health than I can talk about it in this forum today," Johnson said.
And students like Lianna Walker understand why it’s so important to put this issue into the forefront of the conversation.
“And I hope that everybody in my class or in every class that’s coming after me from 2024 onwards shall accept the responsibility that there are kids who need to realize that mental health is an ok thing to talk about," Walker added.
SimplyHealthyMinds.com
Marvinsmovement.org
