As I stood at the edge of the airfield in Cookstown on a crisp autumn morning, I watched Tanya Philpott prepare to confront a profound fear. Around us, fallen leaves skittered across the tarmac while she and eleven other women adjusted their harnesses, their nervous laughter carrying on the wind.
“I’m terrified of heights,” Tanya confessed, her hands fidgeting with the straps of her jumpsuit. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about showing kids that facing your fears can make you stronger.”
This isn’t just another charity skydive. It’s the cornerstone of “Women Taking Flight” (WTF), a fundraising initiative that has already raised over $36,000 for youth mental health services across Simcoe Muskoka. The funds support RVH’s Urgent Care Mental Health Program, which provides critical intervention for young people in crisis.
The statistics that drive these women are sobering. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario will experience some form of mental health problem, and 5 in 6 of them won’t receive the treatment they need. The pandemic has only intensified this crisis, with Children’s Mental Health Ontario reporting a 123% increase in emergency department visits for children and youth with suicidal ideation since 2020.
“We kept seeing these stories of young people struggling,” explained organizer Kelly Denomme, who works as a real estate agent in Barrie. “The waitlists for mental health services can be months long. What happens to a child who needs help today?”
That question haunts many in the community, including participant Stephanie Romain. As the safety briefing continued around us, she shared that her own teenage daughter had struggled with anxiety that became debilitating during the pandemic lockdowns.
“When we finally got her help, it changed everything,” she said. “But I keep thinking about families who don’t have access to those resources. That’s why I’m jumping—so fewer parents have to watch their children suffer while waiting for care.”
The women range in age from 24 to 62, coming from diverse professional backgrounds—teachers, nurses, business owners, and community advocates. What unites them is a desire to transform their personal courage into community action.
Dr. Malin Clark, a child psychologist at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, wasn’t jumping today but came to support the effort. While watching the women prepare, she explained how crucial immediate intervention can be.
“When a young person reaches out for help, that window of opportunity might close if they’re told to wait three months,” she said. “The funds from initiatives like this help us create more points of access—more chances to reach youth when they’re ready to be reached.”
The Urgent Care Mental Health Program at RVH aims to provide assessment within 24 to 72 hours of referral, connecting youth and families with appropriate resources before crises escalate. Last year, the program served over 800 young people across the region.
As the first group boarded the plane, I noticed how they supported each other—adjusting equipment, offering reassurances, sharing nervous smiles. Many of these women hadn’t known each other before training for the jump began six weeks ago. Now they moved like a team.
“That’s the thing about vulnerability,” said participant Jessica Krieger, a teacher from Innisfil. “When you show yours, it makes space for others to show theirs too. Isn’t that what we want to teach our kids?”
The symbolism isn’t lost on anyone here. Each woman confronting her fear of falling through open sky represents countless young people facing invisible but equally terrifying struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
When I visited the training sessions in early September, many participants expressed doubts about completing the jump. Today, as the first skydivers appeared as tiny specks against the cloud-scattered blue, their colorful parachutes blooming open, the crowd of family members and supporters erupted in cheers.
Tanya landed in a grassy area nearby, her face transformed by exhilaration as her instructor helped her to her feet. “If I can do this,” she said, still breathless, “imagine what these kids can do when they get the support they need.”
The fundraiser has attracted support from local businesses like Tim Hortons and Georgian BMW, who provided sponsorships covering the cost of jumps so that all donations go directly to mental health services.
Community mental health advocates point out that while events like WTF provide crucial funding, they also serve another purpose: breaking down stigma around mental health challenges by bringing conversations into public spaces.
“When these women talk about why they’re jumping—at work, at home, on social media—they’re normalizing discussions about mental health,” explained Sam Hammond from the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Simcoe County branch. “That alone can help a young person feel less alone.”
As the last jumpers landed and celebrated with hugs and tears, Kelly Denomme was already talking about next year’s event. “We’ve had so many women ask to join for 2024,” she said. “I think we’ve started something that could grow even bigger.”
For the young people who will benefit from these funds, the impact is immediate and tangible—more counselors, shorter wait times, expanded programs. But perhaps equally valuable is the message these twelve women send by leaping into empty space: that fear doesn’t have to have the final word, and that communities can come together to catch those who are falling.
Donations to the Women Taking Flight initiative for youth mental health services remain open through December at RVH Foundation’s website.
