My name is Jean-Francois Dupras. I am originally from Quebec, but I have been living in Alberta for the past 12 years.
As a result of traumatic events in my early teens, I began to suffer from depression, without really being aware of it. Later, I tried every possible way to free myself from the pain that was keeping me from being happy. At the age of 20, I wanted to end my life. I just couldn’t bear the pain and the feeling of being lost any longer. The following years were sprinkled with ups and downs. However, I still had that heaviness weighing on me, which prevented me from finding happiness.
In 2015, as a result of a work related accident, the depression came knocking at my door again. Only this time, it was more than I could handle by myself. I finally had the courage to seek professional help to heal my wounds of the past and to better understand what was happening to me.
Despite all these difficult experiences, I have always been a big dreamer. This allowed me to keep my head out of the water more than once in times of distress. Ever since I was a young boy, I have always been passionate about nature and the outdoors. Through nature, I discovered myself and learned to go beyond my limits. It was during my first visit to the Banff area in 2001 that the real love for the mountains emerged. A few years later, I made my first ascent and discovered a real passion for climbing and mountaineering.
Now, my dream is to share my story in order to raise awareness about mental illness, still misunderstood to this day.
Through my seven summits project, I want to promote the power of dreams and passions. I also hope to encourage people to reconnect with nature and the outdoors, as well as to live a life filled with adventures.
