INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — For the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson partnered with InPwr’s DKY Foundation for his Indy 500 helmet design to raise mental health awareness and suicide prevention within the construction industry.
Ericsson shared that he wants to use his platform to get rid of the stigma around talking about mental health issues.
“For me, like the last few years, it’s a lot about mental health,” Ericsson said. “Raising awareness around mental health, and I partnered up with DKY Foundation this year. It has some really strong messaging about the stigma around mental health. It’s something we all fight with, whatever you do. Raising awareness around that to be okay to speak about it. To check up on your people around you. That’s so important.”
Ericsson mentioned more about the importance of his Indy 500 helmet.
“I think in today’s day and age, it’s something there’s still a stigma around,” Ericsson said. “People think talking about mental health and struggling with mental health is a weakness, but it’s not. We need to talk about it, we need to check up on our people. It’s okay to ask someone, how are you, and really mean, how are you. I think it’s important to talk about, and again, if I could use my platform in the biggest race in the world to get that forward, it’s very meaningful to me.”
On top of the message, Ericsson is happy with how the helmet turned out.
“Trying to bring that subject up there and using my platform to speak about it,” Ericsson said. “I’m really proud of that, and on top of it, it’s colorful; there are a lot of things going on with this helmet. We’ve got some bricks on here as well. We’ve got the back with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It turned out very well, like I said, cool helmet, but also a very strong subject, and I think that’s very important. Proud to wear that during this month of May.”
Ericsson is proud to use his helmet as a way to spread mental health awareness at the Indy 500.
The Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 24.