All-Star Ishpeming High School Quarterback, Daniel Olson
Do It For Daniel
Stopping the stigma of mental illness
Daniel Olson was an Ishpeming High School all–state athlete who completed suicide in 2012 after battling anxiety and depression for years. The star quarterback on the football team at Ishpeming High School in Marquette County, Michigan, Daniel lead the team to the State Championship game in 2010. From the outside, it appeared Daniel had everything going for him but on the inside, his parents knew he was struggling. The family spoke openly about Daniel’s medical illness.
A friend and leader on & off the field, Daniel was beloved for his warmth, generosity, tenacity and humor. He was the oldest of 4 children in the Olson family, who long ago made the brave and vulnerable choice to carry his story and legacy forward by speaking openly about Daniel’s struggle with depression and anxiety.
"Do It For Daniel" is the documentary of his struggle with depression and mental illness and a message of hope, coupled with Suicide & Mental Health Awareness, education and athletic scholarships.
The Olson Family from left to right: Isaac, Sally, Jaime, Jeff, Taylor & Daniel
Our Mission
Depression & Anxiety are medical illnesses
When we lost Daniel at the tender age of 19, we made the choice to speak openly about the disease that took his life. All these years later, we remain steadfast in our mission to tell our family’s story with the goal of erasing the stigma of mental illness while encouraging people who struggle and/or suffer to come forward and seek help. This documentary was created to educate people about the impact depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses have on people and their families and to create a dialogue. We believe that through education, we can help stop the stigma and when we do, people who suffer from these Medical illnesses will feel less isolated and more willing to seek help. We do not want anyone else to have to go through what our son Daniel went through with his battle with anxiety, depression, and ultimate suicide at the age of 19. And for other loved ones not to have to endure what our family went through during Daniel’s struggles. This documentary tells the incredible story of Daniel and his family and how the community of Ishpeming, through the Hematite football team, rallied to restore hope for all who suffer from this Medical illness called depression.
The Documentary Crew from left to right: Gabe Flores, Mike Berens, Matt Regimbal, Kammi Young-Berens and Maysum Haddad
The Documentary
do it for daniel
Moved by the Ishpeming Hematites’ 2012 Sports Illustrated “Underdog” win, specifically Daniel’s story, Mike & Kammi Berens had an idea and wanted to help. What began as a labor of love has become a movement with the goal of ending mental health stigma, which isolates those who suffer from the medical diseases depression and anxiety. From the principal of Hurley High School in Wisconsin, after viewing the documentary and presentation at an assembly with her high school students:
“We had 4 drop-ins today from students who were directly affected by the presentation and we were able to connect with their parents to have an open dialogue. Several staff disclosed that they had many meaningful discussions with their student after the presentation. A presentation like this can help a student realize that there is help and support within the school and community when he/she is going through challenging times.”
- Melissa Oja (Principal, Hurley High School, Wisconsin)
Jeff Olson Coaching quarterback son, Daniel, in 2010
Coach Jeff Olson
A FATHER’S MISSION
Jeff Olson, father of Daniel Olson and Ishpeming High School’s head football coach, is working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Jeff has taught in the public school system for 30 years and has coached Football and other sports for 37 years. For 27 years he was the Head Football Coach at Ishpeming High School in Michigan where they won 3 State Championships and had 2 Runner-up finishes. He was elected into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016 with a record of 200-91. Jeff has also been Ishpeming’s Head Basketball Coach and has helped coach track for many years. Jeff, his wife Sally, and four children, have endured the pain of a loved one battling severe depression and anxiety ultimately leading to the suicide of their son Daniel at the age of 19. Jeff has spent the past 2 years traveling to different schools and communities around the Midwest speaking on anxiety, depression, and suicide and presenting the Do It For Daniel documentary about his son’s and family’s struggles with this medical illness.
“When people say ‘mental illness,’ that’s when they freak out because of all the stigmas attached…so we want people to understand this is very common; it’s a medical illness like any other medical illness. It just happens to be a medical illness of the brain, so it affects how you feel, how you think. And that’s a scary thing for people because there’s nothing outwardly showing that you are suffering or that you are ill, and that’s why people don’t talk about it and why people don’t get help. So we’re trying to create that dialogue and get people to understand that it is medical.”
-Jeff Olson, Daniel Olson’s father