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When Damien Uzelman stopped showing up after consistently hitting the gym twice a week for more than a year — staff took notice.
Uzelman said he started going to the Planet Fitness in Sherwood Park as a way to work on his physical health.
But when the stresses in his life started piling up, going to the gym was no longer a priority.
“The last few weeks, I haven’t been doing well, mentally,” he said in a video he posted to social media.
“Before that, the gym would be the only place I would go because of the people there, the staff there and just the environment there was very welcoming.”
When he gathered the strength, Uzelman went back, and the staff wanted to make sure he felt seen and appreciated.
“When I got back after being off for a few weeks, the staff were just so excited to see me,” he added in his video. “Today I get this card, because I explained to them what was going on and they’ve all written these amazing, amazing things.”
The staff got together to sign a card — a seemingly small gesture that’s meant the world to Uzelman.
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“When I got the card, I was just in a very emotional state,” Uzelman told Global News in an interview. “You get a simple gesture as a card and you’re just like, ‘there are nice people in the world, thank goodness.’”
When they handed it over, Uzelman said he took it to his car and then uploaded the video as a way to say thank you.
“I struggle with depression, anxiety, and coming to a place like Planet Fitness where there’s no judgment, it’s like, ‘OK, I don’t have to worry about what other people think of me.’
“I can just put my headphones on and do my own thing.”
It’s a community staff at the gym hope to foster and grow.
“Don’t be nervous to come in. The first step is getting through the doors,” said Megan L’Heureux, the general manager of the Sherwood Park Planet Fitness. “We’re here, we can be your support system to help you and get that workout in.”
It’s given him the push to not only hit the gym more often — he now goes six days a week — but also to speak out about mental health as a part of Men’s Health Month.
“We’re always told to grow up, be a man, don’t cry,” he said. “Men cry.”
According to Statistics Canada, the suicide rate amongst men is almost three times that of women. Men make up approximately half of the population, but they account for nearly 75 per cent of suicide deaths.
It’s a figure that Uzelman is hoping to change by sharing his story.
“Men’s suicides rates are high,” he added. “It’s just to understand that a child is going to lose their dad or a mother is going to lose her son.”
Life is tough for a lot of people, Uzelman noted, and many of us are carrying invisible burdens.
“The world right now that we’re going through is a scary place. Prices are high, groceries are high and everything kind of seems unattainable,” he said. “Leaning into my faith and then leaning into the gym where people are welcoming to have you here, it’s a very unique thing to have in the world right now.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, call 988, or you can find more information here.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
