The panel will be made up of some of Northern Ireland's most famous sports people, business people and experts in the field of mental health. Each of our panellists brings their own experiences of dealing with anxiety, whether it be in the boxing ring, winning trophies and medals, running a business or changing lives for the better. The panelists will tell us about how resilience has played a part in their journeys and will discuss their own experiences of building a resilient mindset.

Panel Moderator: Cate Conway

Panel members:

• David Babington - Chief Executive, AMH Action Mental Health, leading on services that support people in improving their mental health and wellbeing, through promoting inclusion and supporting employment.
• Jamie Conlan - Boxing manager and former professional boxer. Jamie also held the Commonwealth super-flyweight title in 2016 and was IBF super-flyweight title challenger in 2017. He is the older brother of professional boxer Michael Conlan.
• Dr Michael McKillop MBE - Retired international athlete and winner of 10 gold medals across World Championships and Paralympic Games, Tedx Speaker and International Guest Speaker. Michael also represented Ireland for 16 years.
• Orla Smyth - Former corporate lawyer. Founder and owner of Kaffe-O Belfast chain and corporate event catering company. Kidney transplant middle distance runner and Transplant Games World Record holder. Current Chair of Transplant Sport NI.
• Kevin Raine - Retired professional Ice Hockey Player with Belfast Giants from 2017 to 2022 and founder of Personal Best, offering guidance, mentorship, exercise programming and motivational apparel.
• Dr Karen Galway PhD - Senior Lecturer in Mental Health in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University, Belfast, and current Deputy Director of The Innovation Zones based at Queen’s. Co-Lead on research and evaluation at the All-Ireland Social Prescribing Network, and Co-founder and Chair of Suicide Prevention Research Impact Network.

A light lunch will be served from 12:30 in the QFT cafe bar for audience members. A selection of vegetarian and gluten-free alternative will be included.

This event is free for staff to attend, however numbers are limited, and registration is required. Click here to register.

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This initiative is being delivered as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. For our full Programme, please click here.

If you have any queries about this initiative, please contact the organiser using the details at the bottom of this page.