Men aged 40 to 70 who get screened for disease at special event can get in fast lane to meet wrestling royalty

For the seventh year in a row, fans of Bret Hart will get a chance to meet the legendary wrestler on Saturday at Sunridge Mall.

On one condition — they get a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test first.

The Prostate Cancer Centre, along with Hart, will be hosting its annual men’s health event from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., offering men aged 40 to 70 free PSA blood testing, used for early detection of prostate cancer.

All men 18 years and older can also receive free blood sugar, blood pressure and waist circumference measurements.

Following the checkups, visitors will receive a priority access ticket to meet Hart and get an autograph.

“A lot of men are fearful when they hear the words prostate cancer, and then they are fearful about what that testing involves,” said Laura Barker, communications supervisor with the centre.

“We’re trying to spread the word that it’s a blood test. No invasive procedures involved.”

The tests will happen via the centre’s mobile clinic, the Man Van. It’s the only one of its kind in Canada, launched to provide access to free PSA testing.

It only takes 15 minutes, Barker said. “If the PSA is high, then you may need further testing,” she said.

While the van is on site, testing will take place inside the mall at a retail setup just outside the Bath & Body Works store on Level 1. Visitors will see a registration tent with staff inside, where they can register to get a checkup.

The visitors will then file into one of two lines to meet Hart. One line is for those who got a checkup, thereby receiving priority access to meet the wrestler. The other is for the general public, including men who aren’t able to get tested and women who don’t have a male partner, friend or relative getting tested. While they also have an opportunity to meet Hart, priority will be reserved for those who did get a checkup.

Early detection for prostate cancer is vital as it can be a treatable disease. If left too late, that’s when problems emerge.

It hits home for Hart, after he and his brother both received a diagnosis for the disease.

“I always got checked and was told by my doctor that my PSA levels were climbing a little bit every year,” Hart said. “He gave me an estimate some years ago that I’m probably going to have to deal with prostate cancer. When I did, in 2016 . . . it was sort of the inevitable coming through.”

At the same time, his older brother, Smith Hart, also learned he had prostate cancer. Having never gotten checked before, the cancer had already reached advanced stages, spreading throughout his body.

“I remember both of us talking about how we were both positive, but his was hopeless, whereas because I’ve been monitoring and checking it (I was fine),” he said. “In his last days before he died, he kept saying to me over and over again how he wish he got checked.”

He died of the illness at age 68 in 2017.

Since then, Hart has become a public advocate for getting tested. “There are too many men out there that are embarrassed or they want to be private about that kind of stuff, or they’re too tough to go get a needle and get blood work done . . . just a lot of people like my brother Smith put it off for years, and as a result he’s no longer with us,” Hart said.

Thanks to Hart’s involvement, the annual event has grown increasingly popular over the years. Last year, the clinic tested 203 people at the event.

On a regular day at a three-hour clinic, the team considers themselves successful if they’re able to test 35 men, Barker said.

“Guys will email us or reach out on social media months in advance saying, ‘Hey, when is the event?’ ” she said. “Men are starting to put it in their calendars.”

Seeing the event grow over the years — “I take it as a sign of respect . . . for me,” Hart said.

“The fact that I have become a voice for getting checked for prostate cancer . . . it’s important to set an example and I think (the fans) see me being very honest and very open about it,” he said.

“And then I’ll sign a picture and an autograph and make it a little memorable moment.”

For those who show up and stand in the long lines to get tested, Hart assures that they’ll get their time.

“I like to take my time with each person and make it a special moment,” he said. “It’s about coming down and feeling relaxed . . . sometimes the lineups are about a couple of hours and by the time you get to me, I want to make it worth your while.”