Jeff Smith’s ascent for mental health change
Jeff Smith is a mountaineer, mental health activist and co-founder of the life-saving charity big moose alongside his daughter Chloe.
Trigger warning: this blog post covers topics including cancer, bereavement, mental health and suicide.
After losing his best friend to cancer, former professional ice hockey player Jeff Smith found himself at a crossroads.
What followed is a remarkable transformation - from athlete to mountaineer and mental health activist, from grief to purpose.
Alongside his daughter Chloe Smith, he co-founded the mental health charity big moose, building a movement that has saved lives and inspired many more.
Jeff spoke to our Progress community of public relations agency leaders this week about how tragedy became a mission and what keeps him climbing.
He is an extraordinary public speaker who brings raw honesty, deep compassion and a dry, disarming humour to the most challenging subjects: loss, mental health, resilience and living with Parkinson’s disease.
Jeff doesn’t just tell a story. He invites every person in the room to become part of the stories that he shares.
I captured the highlights from our conversation this week to share in this article. If you're inspired to support Jeff and Chloe's work at big moose please get in touch with them.
Q: What sparked your path into leadership, resilience and fundraising?
A: It began with the loss of my friend Gary - known to us as Moose, Big Moose because of his physical presence on the ice hockey pitch.
Gary rang one day to tell me his cancer had returned and spread to his liver. Eight weeks later, I carried his coffin.
That moment devastated me, but I was determined his life wouldn’t be in vain.
Q: You had a career in professional ice hockey. How did that shape you?
A: Ice hockey gave me discipline, grit and resilience. I started at 10 in North London, a working-class kid, practising in my bedroom.
Eventually, I played professionally for the Cardiff Devils and even skated at Wembley in front of 15,000 people. It was a dream come true and it gave me the foundation to face life’s toughest challenges.
Q: You’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Everest. How did that come about?
A: My daughter Chloe sparked the first climb. She was 15 and wanted to summit Kilimanjaro. I went with her, completely unprepared. That trip changed me. I retired from ice hockey and started saying yes to things that scared me. I went on to climb Elbrus, and eventually Everest - twice.
Q: Tell us more about Everest.
A: The first attempt in 2014 ended in tragedy when 16 Sherpas died in an avalanche and the mountain was closed. We still raised £60,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust and I found my purpose. In 2017, I returned and made it to the summit, carrying some of Gary’s ashes with me. It was emotional, surreal, and transformative.
Q: How did big moose come to life?
A: After Everest, we wanted to honour Gary through acts of kindness. We started helping people experiencing homelessness in Cardiff. That eventually became a coffee shop that trains and employs people overcoming hardship. It grew from there.
Q: When did mental health become the focus?
A: One of our first hires had lived on the streets and battled serious mental health issues. With support, he flourished, but one day he cried in my office and said it was the first time in his life he hadn’t wanted to end it. That moment opened my eyes. We realised we could do more and we had to.
Q: What makes the big moose mental health service different?
A: Speed and simplicity. Everyone gets a reply within 24 hours, and therapy starts within a week. On average, people need just under four sessions. It’s efficient, impactful and built around hope. We’re managing to keep up with demand but it needs significant resources. Our challenge is the 6,069 people who die by suicide every year in England and Wales.
Q: You were later diagnosed with Parkinson’s. How did you handle that?
A: It knocked me sideways. “You have Parkinson’s” are the three worst words I’ve ever heard. But I decided not to let it define me. A friend said it could be my superpower and I chose to lean in and use it as fuel.
Q: That’s when Project 1 Million was born?
A: Yes. We set out to raise £1 million annually to fund therapy for people struggling with mental health. We built a community of 11,899 people. It took 486 days, but we got there. We’ve saved at least 97 lives and generated over £12 million in social capital, which keeps Chloe and I going.
Q: What’s next?
A: Project 1 Million 2.0. On 29 November, 100 spin bikes will run non-stop for 24 hours at Cardiff Met. Each team is challenged to raise £10,000. The goal? Another £1 million, in a day.
Q: And how do you keep going, with Parkinson’s in the mix?
A: I’ve set myself a goal of giving 12 talks this year. It’s not easy - I shake, I get nervous, I look grumpy - but quitting is harder. Speaking gives me purpose. If I can inspire someone else to be braver, it’s worth every second.
Q: Final question. How can people help?
A: Join us. Sign up for a bike on 29 November. Introduce us to someone who can support the cause. Share our story. Together, we can show that no one has to struggle alone.
