Meet FRÉ Ambassador Hannah Haughn, Canadian Field Hockey #13 and Mental Health Advocate

@haughn13

About me: I was born in North Vancouver, Canada, and it’s still my home base. Depending on where my team is located in the world, I move there temporarily and travel home when I can. I’m adventurous, always busy, and ambitious.

Skincare

I train 5-6 days a week. As an athlete, I sweat a lot and spend most of the day outdoors. The most important thing is keeping my skin hydrated and protected from the sun, in both hot and cold conditions.

The most important thing is keeping my skin hydrated and protected from the sun, in both hot and cold conditions.

My daily routine

First, I use PURIFY ME, then REVIVE ME, and finish with PROTECT ME. I use these three products every day. At night, I apply I AM LOVE instead of PROTECT ME. My favorite FRÉ product is REVIVE ME; I find it’s the most versatile product and very hydrating. When I’m on the go, I wash my face and apply REVIVE ME.

My Fitness Journey

As a kid, I was always very active and played every sport you can imagine. We had a family friend who played field hockey, and one day I saw her play and fell in love with the sport. I begged my parents to let me join a team—they had never heard of it! It’s a small sport in Canada, overshadowed by bigger sports like ice hockey and lacrosse. They signed me up when I was 7, and I’ve been playing ever since. Although I also participated in competitive gymnastics, springboard diving, and running, I’ve always loved the camaraderie of team sports. At 16, I was selected for the national team, which was both exciting and challenging. Over the last 10 years, I’ve competed in many major field hockey events around the world.

Although I also participated in competitive gymnastics, springboard diving, and running, I’ve always loved the camaraderie of team sports.

My Proudest Moments

1. My team won a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. It was very exciting. We hadn’t achieved that kind of result in 30 years.
2. We competed in the Olympic Qualifier in November 2019. It was a two-game series, with the winner taking all. We ended up losing in an overtime shootout, which was devastating because competing in the Olympics is a lifelong dream of mine. But it was the first time in 30 years that we’d come close to making the Olympics. The way we handled the pressure, the level we competed at, and the journey itself—which we completely self-funded—were amazing.

Overcoming challenges

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since I was 15, and as an elite athlete, it has taken me a long time to come to terms with my mental illness. Over time, I’ve learned how to open up about it with people, including my coaches. I know a lot of athletes who struggle with mental illness; there isn’t much room for weakness and vulnerability at the elite level. Being open to tough discussions has helped change the way people view mental illness, and that means a lot to me. I think that if we all focus on our mental wellness, we can perform at a higher level.

Mental health in sport is important to me, and I’ve been speaking as a mental health advocate. I also recently started a master’s degree in counseling psychology. In the future, I hope to work with adolescents who have had experiences similar to mine with depression and anxiety. I wrote a blog post about my struggles. My training is all-consuming right now, but I hope to transition to more mental health work in the future.

Fitness tip

There are many barriers for people looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle, like a lack of funds or knowledge. My advice is to just start! No activity is too small. During the pandemic, we’ve seen that you can easily work out at home using cans or groceries and still feel great. You don’t need a fancy gym membership or special workout clothes. So start small and make use of the great resources available online.

Resilience tips

I’ve been focusing on gratitude and on how there are so many small things in our lives that we take for granted. For example, I haven’t been able to spend this much time at home in 10 years! The upside of being at home is spending quality time with family, sleeping, and reading. These are things I don’t normally have time to do.

I'm also reflecting on aspects of my life before the Covid-19 outbreak that were hurting my wellness journey. These include big things like toxic relationships and smaller things like not remembering to drink enough water. It’s been powerful to reflect on all of this.

Finally, I think it’s helpful to identify 1-2 positive things each day and take things day by day. There’s so much we can’t control.

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise? Hiking
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ? High performance
• What are you most excited about in life right now? Getting to hug friends in the future
• What’s something you’d still love to learn? Croatian—my mom is Croatian, and her side of the family still lives in Croatia.
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #funsized (I’m 5’1’’)
• What is your mantra? “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared but she went on so strongly despite her fear” - Atticus
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often? I wish we spoke more about climate change and the small changes we can make in our own lives.
• What does women’s empowerment mean in 2020? It’s an essential topic at this point. If we continue to lift each other up, we can do so many more great things as a group.
• What are your dreams for the FRÉ community? I hope it continues to grow and empower more people, becomes more of a household name, and continues to empower women in communities around the world.
• What would be your FRÉ dream product if we could make anything for face, body or hair? A mineral sunscreen, something eco-friendly for swimming, and a natural deodorant.