Athletics Ontario Running Podcast · John Shep

EP 197: Samir Mourani, Movember - It's Okay Not To Be Okay: The Movement

·46 min

Athletics Ontario Running Podcast features Samir Mourani discussing his transformation from inconsistent gym-goer to committed runner, culminating in a 50K run for Movember mental health awareness. Samir describes changing from fitting fitness around life to building life around fitness, overcoming initial hatred of running to finding mental clarity. Discussion covers the cascade of benefits from exercise (sleep, nutrition, mental health, relationship quality) and connects fitness to redefining masculinity beyond toxic productivity narratives. Includes reflection on social media pressure targeting young men and importance of adult role models demonstrating healthy emotional processing.

As heard by us

A running conversation that ties effort, identity, and mens health together without overplaying its hand.

The episode uses Movember as a way into masculinity and mental health, and it works best when Samir Mourani moves from the general theme to the part of his own life that left him unable to get out of bed and forced him to rethink what masculinity meant to him.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want an Ontario running conversation that also gets into masculinity and mental health, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify