Legendary Cowboys player Ray Thompson delivered a powerful message to parents and caregivers at a special event held at Genius Childcare in Cannonvale on Monday evening.
The retired sportsman, who played for the Cowboys from 2005 to 2017, is now the Cowboys Community Engagement Programs Officer and works directly with schools delivering The Resilience Project around the country.
Founded by Hugh van Cuylenberg, The Resilience Project helps people live a happy and fulfilled life by teaching them the key principals of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.
Hugh first discovered the magical properties of happiness when he visited a poor town in India where the children had nothing but were incredibly happy.
He used his observations to inspire the Resilience Project and has since visited sporting clubs, businesses and community groups across the country teaching people how to deal with failure, stress and challenges.
The Resilience Project now has a national following and many ambassadors.
For Ray Thomson, who lost a friend to suicide in 2015, passing on this inspiring message is a way to help future generations lead happy lives and hopefully save others from reaching a point of despair.
“I feel proud and humbled to have this power and opportunity to help others,” he said on the night.
“Every single person fails; everyone experiences a traumatic event in their lives – yet 65 per cent of adults won’t seek help when they go through a tough time.”
Ray hopes that by sharing key tools to parents and caregivers at early learning centres, this will better equip children to handle challenges at a young age.
This event was funded by the Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network and is in addition to the $14,000 they provided for similar projects at other childcare centres in 2022.
If this article has triggered any challenging emotions call Lifeline on 131114.
Cowboys legend Ray Thompson and Genius Early Learning Centre Manager, Bec Shultz. Photo credit: Rachael Smith
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