Our Champions

Passionate, influential, and big-time supporters of the fight against depression in men.

Joel with camera

Joel Robison

Joel is an award winning conceptual photographer based out of B.C. Canada. 

“Through HeadsUpGuys I’ve found the value of understanding myself, but also in sharing what I’ve learned with others to establish healthy connections and relationships. This has helped me to feel supported by those in my life, and that I’m supporting their mental health as well.”

For the past 11 years, Joel has been creating and sharing his work with people from all around the world. For instance, Joel was hired by Coca Cola for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Tour to capture happiness in over 90 countries during a nine month period. In fact, Joel’s inspirational work and international influence has gained him close to half a million followers across social media platforms. Joel has supported HeadsUpGuys in a number of major ways, from contributing his art to various fine art campaigns (Together We Can, Reach Out, Redefining Man, Better Starts Here), writing a blog on his story (Joel’s Story), to working as our Social Media Coordinator and Graphic Designer. 

Learn more about Joel at joelrobison.com.

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Din with headset

Din Thomas

Din is a retired mixed martial arts fighter and now trains and mentors current MMA fighters.

“One of the most important things you can do for your mental health is to establish a network of understanding, supportive, nonjudgmental people to associate with.  These are people that you can rely on when times get dark. And they can rely on you as well.”

Din is a highly accomplished and multitalented public figure who has used his platform in the sports and entertainment industry to help support men’s mental health and spread the word about HeadsUpGuys. As a retired MMA fighter, he continues to impact the sport through mentoring and training current fighters. He is also an actor and television personality, serving as a fight analyst for the UFC broadcast team and hosting for a variety of programs including Dana White: Looking for a Fight, The Din Diaries, and Josh Cohen & The HomeTeam on ESPNWestPalm and SiriusXM Fight Nation. In 2021 Din cycled across Florida to raise funds and awareness for HeadsupGuys. He has also served as panelist for the HeadsUpGuys Virtual Men’s Health Forum, where he shared his own mental health journey.

Learn more about Din on his social media pages. 

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Pavel Stickhandling

Pavel Barber

Pavel is a Toronto-based hockey instructor, stickhandling specialist, youtuber, and social media influencer.

“Nothing is more important to me than daily practice of being mindful and present, and understanding that we are all going through battles we can’t visually see, so being open and honest about my struggles is also important as it allows me to realize I’m not alone, and hope others feel comfortable opening up and taking action too. Because it is well within our control to constantly improve our mental health.”

A three-time Canadian national athlete, Pavel now works with professional hockey players to help improve their game. With nearly 250,000 Youtube subscribers and over a million followers across his social media platforms, there’s no doubt his influence reaches far and wide all over the world. Pavel is an avid supporter of HeadsUpGuys, and has created and shared our resource content with his fans. 

Learn more about Pavel on his youtube channel.

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Learn more about Our Impact and ways you can Get Involved.