Our History

"As a competitive runner, raised by a family that owned a health club, physical fitness is part of my genetic makeup. I can testify to the benefits of exercise on one's mental well-being."

Samara Barend, Founder of Minds of Steel

A simple idea brought to life.

Minds of Steel was founded in June 2002 as a response to news reports revealing that a staggering number of children suffered from mental illness due to the September 11th tragedy. According to a NYC Board of Education Study in June 2002, 75% of all NYC children suffered some form of posttraumatic stress syndrome as a result of September 11th.

Although generous contributions were distributed widely, little money was allocated to target and address the mental health needs of the many school children suffering throughout New York City.

Two months later, "Minds of Steel" was conceived and its first task was to organize a statewide hike-a-thon to raise awareness of the needs of NYC school children and the importance of physical fitness in addressing and preventing mental illness. In addition, the hike-a-thon celebrated all that New Yorkers surmounted after September 11th.The hike-a-thon succeeded in its goal to raise awareness by garnering press attention

across New York State through interviews on National Public Radio, WCBS radio, and articles in the papers in each region where the hikes were held (Buffalo, Syracuse, Lake Placid, and the Hudson Valley). Hundreds of people hiked in this symbolic statewide event, which raised nearly $25,000 for the Mental Health Association of NYC, the Cortland County Mental Health Association, and the United Way's "Close the Gap" program in both Buffalo and Plattsburgh.

Programs like this don't exist.

The success of our hike-a-thon paved the way for the organization to successfully raise thousands of dollars for programs across New York State, helping children with mental illness through exercise.

For three years Minds of Steel operated as a Foundation, giving money to other nonprofits that promoted exercise and mental health. Disappointed with our hard earned funding going to school equipment and gym clothes instead to directly stemming the incidence of childhood obesity or mental illness, we realized that we needed to accomplish our mission directly by designing a groundbreaking program.

Because no organization exists that directly fulfills our mission – to utilize exercise as a means of treating and preventing mental illness

in children – in 2006 we launched an innovative, clinically tested program.

Our goal is to expand and strengthen this program to become a model that can be replicated nationally for insurance companies, schools, and communities to utilize.

"Minds of Steel is a way to share something that dramatically shaped my life and has kept me mentally strong: the gift of exercise. I continue working to strengthen Minds of Steel so that other children can reap the same tremendous life altering benefits I enjoyed from physical fitness at a young age."

–Samara Barend - Founder