Movember Week 1 Advocate: Jakub Szott

Jakub Szott is a soon to be McMaster graduate in the Bachelor's of Commerce program! He is also a part of the Mac Movember Executive committee. Szott is a football athlete, placing 29th overall in the 2019 CFL Draft Pick of the Ottawa Redblacks (and is an OUA All-Star)!

The Men's Health Society is delighted to share the full interview with our Movember Advocate, Jakub Szott:

Growing up, what was your understanding about what Men’s health meant and how was that perception influenced by those around you?

My understanding of men's health was just the very typical machismo ideas where you don’t really show your feelings, your concerns and nothing bothers you. It was something that was so rarely talked about growing up that I never seemed to put any thought into it.

As a kid, was there a specific image in your head about what it meant to be a man?

I looked up to my dad a lot as to what it meant to be a man. Between looking up to him and male actors in movies, that always played it very collected with their feelings, I felt like bottling up my emotions was often the best option.

At what point did you start to become aware of some of the misconceptions that a lot of guys often have with regards to dealing with many emotional and physical issues? Is there a specific instance where it became apparent to you that there are many misconceptions and stigmas when it comes to dealing with these sorts of issues?

I started to become more aware of common misconceptions about guys and their emotions in my grade 12 year of high school. I don’t remember a specific instance, but looking back that is when I realized how much one's mental state can affect their life on a daily basis, and going through a “rough time” can really have adverse effects on your life. I saw this with my friends, and also myself, as it is such a stressful time in a teenagers life.

What led you to start getting involved in advocating for these sorts of issues and spreading awareness in order to bring more positive changes to the male community?

After my first year of university, when I started to realize how much stigmatization there is about mental health as well as men’s mental health, I felt like there was more that I could do. Now that I’m in my fifth year, and have started to find my voice, I feel like it’s imperative that I do my part and help open myself up for those tough conversations. Throughout the past year we, as a society, have seen the impact that so many social issues have on people. I’ve found that trying to have these tough conversations with friends and checking in on their health and wellbeing has been greatly beneficial. All of the downsides of Covid-19 has lead to a lot of people feeling incredibly isolated, so trying to break down that barrier and check on friends and family has been really positive. These check-ins have also lead to some great conversations with loved ones which help break down those stigmas around mental health.

When did you first start participating in Movember? Do you have any memorable moments that have come out of your participation in these sorts of events?

I first started participating in Movember last year, and was able to grow a good mustache, I was also advocating and trying to do more for men’s mental and physical health. Some memorable moments for me was just the feeling of being better bonded with a larger team of guys beyond the football team at mac. It’s nice to have something that is truly unifying.

What words do you have for those people looking to get involved in these sorts of events but don’t know how to or how they themselves can help the cause?

I would say to dip your toes in. You don’t know how important something is, or how much you care about it, unless you try it. Research, talk to your peers and ask questions about movember and you will learn that you aren’t the only one who is looking to make a change, but you don’t know where to start. There are so many social issues, such as the lack of awareness for mental health, and so many resources for people to use to be able to educate themselves on it. Use those resources, or simply just search “Movember”, and a multitude of ways one can help will be available at your hand. You just have to dip your toes in.

And what can you say to those who haven’t really thought too much about Movember and why it should be something that they could maybe look to get more involved in?

Just think about all the times that you were upset about something and felt like you couldn't express yourself no matter who you are. The de-stigmatization of our mental and physical health is incredibly important. I’m sure everyone knows at least one person who has gone through a mental or physical trauma at one point in their lives. Enabling ourselves to have these conversations leads to the betterment of our society at large.