A former All-American basketball player at Iowa State has been sharing her experiences with mental health issues across the Midwest, and is coming to Pella to raise awareness.

Lyndsey Fennelly is coming to the Central College Graham Conference Center on Sunday, January 22nd at 7 p.m., which will be immediately preceded and followed by a table fair with mental health resources available in the area.

Fennelly says she shares her own story to highlight that someone having any measure of success doesn’t always mean they are okay, and how anyone dealing with any kind of mental illness should be empowered to seek medical help and therapy.

“There is a balance to it, but you can have it all and live with a mental illness, and in one moment be sad and in the next moment be super happy” Fennelly says. “That’s so much of my message — you really can have and do it all, but there shouldn’t be any shame attached to it. Because if I was diagnosed with cancer, I’d stand on the biggest stages in front of the biggest audiences and tell the world — and I’m just trying to encourage people to get help before it’s too late.”

The event is being organized by the Pella Wellness Consortium and is open to the public.