Stantec pushes for mental health with CMHA Push-Up Challenge 2025
April 15, 2025
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Over 250 employees across Canada completed over 276,000 push-ups and helped generate $284,000 in impact for the Canadian Mental Health Association
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In February 2025, Team Stantec: Stronger Together joined thousands of Canadians in the CMHA Push-Up Challenge—a national fitness fundraiser led by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to raise funds and awareness for mental health support across the country. The challenge? Complete 2,000 push-ups over 18 days to honor the 2,000 lives lost to suicide every day around the world.
And what a challenge it was. With 30 teams and 257 participants across the country, Stantec employees rallied together in offices, homes, gyms, and even during chilly outdoor walks to push, squat, plank, and stretch their way to a better future for mental health.
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"altText": "Group image of Stantec Toronto team \u002D Jakob van Schaick, Joyce Zhong, Saffa Ramsoomair, Frank Campanaro, Matt Everitt, Faiz Bhatia. Front row: Manuel Arias Fondeur, Sophie Ordman, Stefanie Pinela\u002DCooper, Sarah O\x27Connor\u002DHassan, Megan Chan.",
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Team Toronto enjoying some much-earned smoothies after their push-ups.
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Real people, real impact
Together, our employees completed over 276,000 push-ups and raised $23,999, securing second place on the national community leaderboard. However, the most powerful impact came from our Dollar Match Day sponsorship.
On February 19, every donation made from noon onward was matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to Stantec’s $50,000 matching gift. That match was maxed out in just under an hour—helping unlock a total of more than $284,000 in impact for mental health programming.
As CMHA shared:
“Thanks to your support, we came a little closer to our goal. Having Stantec as a Matching Day Donor has been groundbreaking. Your $50,000 support turned into more than $280,000 in impact.”
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Carlie Pauls and Jenga doing their part.
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Moments that moved us
This challenge wasn’t just about numbers—it was about connection, awareness, and community. Here’s what some of our incredible teammates had to say:
“I loved the way this challenge brought people together,” said Carlie Pauls, an internal practice auditor in our Winnipeg office. Carlie not only completed the challenge with her work team but also inspired friends outside of Stantec to join in unofficially. “Challenging them was a great way to start the conversation and enabled me to share with them why I was doing the challenge. I believe mental health is another form of physical health. I call it ‘brain health’—when we treat it like our heart or our muscles, we can begin to normalize caring for it daily. Exercise is so great for the brain, so I believe this challenge hits the nail on the head. I did push-ups, sit-ups, hiking in the cold, boxing, horseback riding, and even had my dog jump on me mid-sit-up. It was a full-body, full-heart kind of effort. I’d love to see us keep the momentum going all year long—brain health should be a part of our everyday routines.”
" }This challenge wasn’t just about numbers—it was about connection, awareness, and community.
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“There were a few on our team that would beat me… I was gunning to be the first to 2,000 push-ups!” said Pat Poelzer, a senior vice president in our Edmonton office. Pat jumped into the challenge fresh off a round of P90X. “I was feeling good physically, but I still had to push myself to get the reps in early each day. It turned into a bit of a friendly competition with teammates, and I was determined to finish strong. My dog always joined in too—she’d do a downward dog right under me every time I got into position. This partnership is for a good cause and genuinely fun to do. Next year, I’m planning to recruit a team and bring even more people along for the ride.”
“We racked up 3,258 push-ups and raised $229. A small effort, but I’m glad we gained some momentum after a slow start!” said James Abend, a senior design coordinator in our Dartmouth office. James hadn’t planned to start a team at all. “I was originally going to support from the sidelines in my role as the local social committee lead, but then I realized no one else had stepped up, I figured—if nobody’s driving the bus, it’s not going anywhere. So, I set up a team a little late and was proud of what we accomplished. It was a great reminder that showing up, even in small ways, can make a difference. Next time, I’d love to help clarify the challenge. It’s not about maxing out in one go, it’s about showing up every day, consistently, for yourself and for others.”
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James Abend inefficiently yet creatively completing his push-ups in his dinosaur suit.
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More than a challenge
For many, this was more than a physical feat. It was an opportunity to talk openly about mental health, reduce stigma, and support those navigating personal challenges. With one in three Canadians struggling with mental health and 1.6 million Canadians unable to access the care they need, efforts like this truly matter.
This is just the beginning. Stantec’s partnership with CMHA continues, and we’re already dreaming up what next year could look like—more push-ups, more stories, and more support for mental health in Canada.
Together, we pushed for better—and we’re not done yet!
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