Kicking The Stigma Launched New Awareness Campaign

The Irsay family program has engaged professional athletes to share personal mental health stories.

Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Mental Health

Flat opaque gouache-painted illustration of a sculptural unfolding knot, symbolizing mental health and conversation, with clean editorial illustration style. — The Irsay family's Kicking The Stigma program launched its new Strength In Every Story initiative, featuring professional athletes sharing personal mental health experiences. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Kicking The Stigma, a mental health program created by the Irsay family, has announced a new initiative titled Strength In Every Story. The campaign features professional athletes opening up about their personal experiences with mental health.

Why it matters

The program aims to normalize public conversations surrounding mental health to encourage individuals to seek necessary help. By sharing personal stories, the campaign seeks to reduce stigma and provide relatable role models for those struggling.

The Kicking The Stigma program was established in 2020 by the Irsay family. The new campaign features personal insights from five professional athletes, though the full extent of future digital assets remains to be disclosed.

The players

The Irsay family

They are the founders of the Kicking The Stigma mental health program.

Tyrese Haliburton

He is a professional athlete participating in the campaign.

Kelsey Mitchell

She is a professional athlete sharing her personal story for the initiative.

Daniel Jones

He is a professional athlete involved in the mental health awareness effort.

Sauce Gardner

He is a professional athlete featured in the Strength In Every Story campaign.

The details

Athletes including Tyrese Haliburton, Kelsey Mitchell, Daniel Jones, Sauce Gardner, and Tanor Bortolini participated in sit-down interviews to share their personal experiences with growth. The campaign distributes these narratives through a collection of digital assets, including a dedicated launch video.

The Irsay family created the Kicking The Stigma program in 2020.
The campaign was announced on October 7, 2026.
The Strength In Every Story campaign launches on October 10, 2026.

The Big Picture

This campaign serves as the latest expansion of the Kicking The Stigma mental health program by incorporating high-profile athlete testimonials.

Residents in Indianapolis can access the digital assets to gain perspective on mental health struggles from familiar public figures. The campaign offers viewers relatable narratives that may help them feel more comfortable pursuing their own mental health resources.

The takeaway

Seeing prominent athletes discuss their mental health challenges can help diminish feelings of isolation for those experiencing similar issues. Readers are encouraged to use these stories as a starting point for their own conversations with family, friends, or healthcare professionals.