Just over twenty years ago Jim Shoopack battled and suffered, in silence – clinical depression. He was suicidal but through his faith in God, and assistance from friends and family, he overcame the depression. Shortly thereafter, he set a goal of completing 100 marathons. To-date he has finished 21 marathons, including four in four months and three in three months. 

Since overcoming his battle with depression Jim has gone on to earn his Doctorate in Education, further demonstrating how far someone can go after overcoming depression. 

In this episode, Jim shares how to deal with & overcome suicidal thoughts. Also. he is very vulnerable in his willingness to talk about the debilitating depression that stole his freedom for more than three months back in 2001.

Jim’s goal is to be the “voice for the voiceless”, and often states a statistic that’s not well known in our society today – the stat is “approximately 1 in 4 people will suffer in silence with a mental health challenge”. The fact that 26.2% of the population in North America have suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, is what has motivated him to complete the 100 marathons. 

He has traveled to Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico on service trips. His fluency in Spanish has been beneficial in helping to serve as a translator for the church groups he’s traveled with. As part of his journey, he and his wife, along with their three pups have traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Travel is part of his “self-care” journey.

You can contact Jim via email at [email protected]