Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Tyler Smith gave a number of mental health talks around the southeast for students in Grades six through nine.
The presentation began with a video encapsulating his message of the impact of his tragic experience on and following April 6th, 2018, and his journey to realizing the steps necessary for healing, a big part of which is to share his story and connect with others.
Smith's talk for the students and teachers kicked off by addressing the fact that everyone has a story and nobody's story needs to be compared to another person's story, but that the purpose of stories is to find common ground. He shared on connections he has made with audience members in the more than 250 times he has presented his story, noting younger audiences make him more nervous than any other type of crowd.
"You really never know who you're going to connect with in this life, because those connections can lead to those conversations that can really shift your perspective. We get in our own little bubbles sometimes. We've got a group of friends, we got this and that, we're doing the thing, which is fine. But like sometimes, to have a fresh perspective and open up to it and be open to other people, what a beautiful thing."
He pointed out he was going forward with his story while embracing authenticity, reflecting on the second home in Humboldt with a second family, his team under the guidance of Darcy Haugan.
"Whenever somebody is struggling in your life, if they get quiet, they're quick to emotion, quick to anger. I mean, that's an indication that something's going on. But I tell this story because it encapsulates what we had in that [locker] room every single day," he shared, explaining that when he had been struggling with his mental health, his teammates checked in to ensure he got the support he needed.
"Those are all leaders of my life because they stepped up and they showed up for me."
Smith then talked about the day of the bus crash, which claimed the lives of 16 players, staff, and coaches, noting it was a day of which he has no recollection, even when the whole world remembers.
As part of his numerous injuries from the crash, including broken bones, nerve damage, and intestinal damage, Smith had also suffered a stroke. This led him to spend four days unconscious before waking up in his hospital bed.
"It's an interesting thing when you wake up in your hospital room and you do have Connor McDavid and Ryan O'Reilly, Paul Brandt, Haley Wickenheiser, John MacLean, and Don Cherry, I'm always hesitant to say the Prime Minister of Canada, (I don't know where we're at with political views), but you have all these public figures and influential people, and then you have 40 to 50 of your friends and family in the hospital room, you know, it makes sense why I keep doing this is because people showed up for us. People showed up, people did everything in their power, and I hope in turn, me coming to speak is like me showing up for you guys."
"The amount of love and support we received, I can truly say it's a big reason as to why we're able to get through a lot of the hard days."
Smith continued to share his story of his struggles with not just coping with grief and loss, trauma, and tragedy, but also with being able to simply experience joy. Physical healing, he stated, did not equal inner healing. His message is about showing up for others with acceptance, reaching out when you need support instead of suffering in silence, and being willing to share your unique story in hope of making a connection.