Our Mission
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization named after 3-time Olympian, Jeret "Speedy" Peterson of Boise, ID and Park City, UT. Our mission is to prevent suicide, support mental health education, and promote conversations to end stigma.
OUR vision
We are suicide prevention advocates by way of conversation and education. We believe:
Suicide can be prevented by advocating for those who struggle with mental illness as well as families and friends of those who struggle.
Suicide can be prevented by promoting conversations to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Suicide can be prevented by providing mental health education.
End the Stigma
OUR History
In the sports world, Speedy was a Freestyle Aerialist and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist. In 2011, Jeret lost his battle to depression. Those who knew him remember Speedy as an advocate for his own struggles with mental health and substance abuse, as well as having a deep concern for the well-being of others.
When Speedy passed away, his family and friends learned that Idaho was the only state in the US without a suicide prevention hotline of it's own. Our first mission was the help fundraise and use Speedy's story to help champion the cause. Idaho now has it's own hotline and during the 2016 legislative session the State added the hotline back into the budget and partially funds this incredible resource.
A mental health crisis is more common than most people realize. You are more likely to come across a person having a mental health crisis than a person having a heart attack. Where CPR training is common, the same is not true of responding to a mental health crisis. We believe it is crucial to prepare to help our neighbors, friends, relatives and coworkers when they need help. The Speedy Foundation supports and provides Mental Health First Aid and QPR trainings in Idaho and Utah.
Why
US suicide rate is the highest since the Great Depression-era
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US.
In 2019, 47,511 Americans died by suicide.
In 2019, there were an estimated 1.38M suicide attempts.
The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2019 was 13.93 per 100,000 individuals.
The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men.
In 2019, men died by suicide 3.63x more often than women.
On average, there are 130 suicides per day.
White males accounted for 69.38% of suicide deaths in 2019.
In 2019, firearms accounted for 50.39% of all suicide deaths.
93% of adults surveyed in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.
Suicide Statistics (AFSP website)
While this data is the most accurate we have, we estimate the numbers to be higher. Stigma surrounding suicide leads to underreporting, and data collection methods critical to suicide prevention need to be improved.
