Fight the Stigma of Mental Illness

1. Individuals with mental illness are your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. They are people just like you.
2. Mental illnesses are treatable and people can and do lead productive lives.

Health - Mental Health and Crisis Services

Mental illness affects 1 in 5 families. Individuals with mental illness are your friends, family, colleagues and even your hero’s. People with mental illness are often stigmatized based on negative portrayals in the media and through movies but NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) helps to eliminate the stigma of mental illness by providing education programs, support groups and political advocacy.

I am CW Tillman, an individual with mental illness and I am also an employee of NAMI where I do my part to break down the walls of stigma. In June 2008 I will be taking part in a bicycle race called the Race Across the West which is part of a larger race known as Race Across America. Race Across the West is a 1036 mile race from Oceanside, CA to Taos, NM over the course of 92 hours. This is the first time that a 1000+ mile bicycle race has ever been held in the United States. Race Across America is a 27 year institution in the cycling world and attracts a lot of media attention as many individuals and teams race for various causes. ESPN, Vs. Network and NBC are just a few of the major networks that carry coverage of Race Across America.

To see my name on the race roster go to: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org... . As you can imagine this is not an inexpensive endeavor, however, NAMI is the title sponsor for my participation in this event. In a short time there has been a lot of interest building in my endeavor to complete this endurance event and to tell my personal story. In February I filmed a short promotion video that is being donated by Double R Productions in Washington, DC. This video is posted below.