Humboldt bus crash survivor inspires local students with mental health message

Tyler Smith, a survivor of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, winner of The Amazing Race Canada Season 9, and founder of Not Alone Co., speaks to students in the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board's Hockey Academy program on Oct. 7, 2025. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor)

You are not alone.

That was the message from Tyler Smith to local students during a mental health event on Tuesday at the St. Anne Catholic Skilled Trades Academy and Learning Centre.

Tyler Smith, a survivor of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, winner of The Amazing Race Canada Season 9, and founder of Not Alone Co., spoke to students in the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board’s Hockey Academy program.

Smith speaks openly and honestly about his ongoing mental health journey after losing 16 of his teammates, staff and coaches, while he and 12 others survived a horrific bus crash in 2018.

He now travels Canada to speak to children and adults about the journey of reflection, healing, and self-discovery.

Smith relays a message of openness, awareness and acceptance around mental health issues to remind people that they are not alone.

He said therapy can be a great start for kids to express their feelings.

“I think just really preaching the community aspect of things, and the connection aspect of things, and the curiosity is something that can hopefully lift the kids up to just be like, ‘okay, let’s start this now’. I waited until I was 20, so if they can start at more of an early age then that foundation is set and you can start to build off that,” he said.

Smith said you have to want to get help for yourself.

“At the end of the day, you can have a lot of people push you in the right direction, but it is ultimately your decision at the end that you’ve got to make that, and you’ve got to go with it,” he said.

“It’s hard because even with therapy, if your first therapist doesn’t work it’s like...’well, I don’t want to keep trying this’. And I think understanding that you’re allowed to embrace the good, but you’re also allowed to embrace the bad sometimes.”

He said regardless of your age, it’s important to put your needs first.

“If you go about it like, ‘I think I just need to take the day off today, and I think I need to go for a walk, and clear my head, and do my thing’, originally I would’ve thought that was quite selfish, and I think now I realize it’s the self-care is not selfish piece.”

Smith was also the keynote speaker for the Windsor-Essex Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s event Check In, Don’t Check Out on Tuesday evening.

He spoke about the crisis in men’s health, and the need for conversation surrounding men who are suffering. Males account for more than 75 per cent of suicides in Canada. That’s an average of 50 men per week dying by suicide.