Lightkeepers: The Power of Becoming Safe Harbour in the Mental Health Crisis

You can find light in the most extraordinary of places. Mike Shoreman learned this somewhere in the middle of the Great Lakes on a cold, black night after twenty-one hours of paddle boarding against waves and exhaustion. He was there, against all odds, as a call to action-to create change for the millions of others who aren't able to do so for themselves .... because those millions were just like him, only a couple of years beforehand.

"Lightkeepers" is a powerful true story of resilience, transformation, and the impact of becoming a lightkeeper-someone who provides safe harbour to those in distress.

After a sudden neurological disorder upends his life and leads to a devastating mental health crisis, Shoreman turns his pain into purpose by doing the unimaginable: becoming the first person to paddleboard across all five Great Lakes. With every gruelling hour on the water, Shoreman battles not just for himself but for the millions suffering silently, proving that anyone can become a beacon of hope in the darkest storms.

This inspiring narrative invites readers to embrace the opportunity to act as lightkeepers-guiding, supporting, and standing strong for those lost in today's mental health crisis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mike Shoreman lights up stages, companies, and organizations across Canada as he speaks about resilience in the face of adversity and the importance of mental health support for the teams we work with. As he shares his Great Lakes story and his journey through mental health challenges and disabilities, it's not long before the audiences begin to light up-for each other. He teaches all of us to become lightkeepers for one another-shining a light through the darkness and guiding the people who need us to safety-despite the forces of nature and depths of darkness. He just kicked off his Beacons of Light Tour speaking tour.

Mike is the first athlete to cross all five Great Lakes on a paddle board and leader of one of the largest mental health awareness campaigns by an individual in Canada. He has been honoured by the Ontario Legislative Assembly, House of Commons, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He is the recipient of the 2022 Marg Starzynski Mental Health Leadership Award and was recently named 2024 Changemaker of the Year. Mike is an award-winning film producer and TEDx keynote speaker, as well as a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Educator. For more on Mike, visit mikeshoreman.com