Jay Wynter

From Football to 780km: Why I’m Cycling for Mental Health

In October I will take on the biggest physical challenge of my life. I will be riding 800km from Sydney to Byron Bay over 7 days, with more than 8500 metres of climbing.

I’m doing it for the Black Dog Institute and their work supporting mental health research and helping people affected by mental illness.

But this challenge is also personal.

I’m a lad from England (Ashford in Kent) who grew up loving football. The game gave me some incredible opportunities. I used it to travel, coaching in the USA, playing in New Zealand and eventually Australia.

When I moved to Sydney in 2012, I was lucky enough to meet a top group of lads and sign for Northbridge in NPL3. Those boys quickly became much more than teammates. They are my brothers, and they still are today.

Then in 2017, football changed for me.

I suffered a major knee injury called osteochondritis dissecans, where a piece of bone beneath the cartilage dies and broke loose. The catching, locking and instability made getting back to football incredibly difficult.

After the operation and 6 months on crutches, I did everything I could to get fit again and tried to return, but ultimately the risk of the injury recurring was too high.

I was told by the specialist I couldn’t play football anymore.

That was a huge blow!

Football wasn’t just a sport to me. It was how I met my closest friends, how I travelled, and something that was a huge part of my life. One of the hardest things was knowing I couldn’t play alongside my brothers anymore.

So I had to find something else.

I became obsessed with the gym. I found golf (although I’m still not exactly setting the world alight 😂) it gave me another way to spend time with my mates. Even with the dodgy swing, I still beat them!

Now I’ve found cycling.

For the first time since that injury, I have found something I can fully send, and push my body to see what I am capable of!

So when I look at this challenge, I see more than 780km.

I see an opportunity to prove to myself that a knee injury doesn’t have to define what you can do.

I see an opportunity to push myself further than I ever have before and most importantly, I want to do it for people who are struggling with their mental health.

My training started in June. Cycling to and from work twice a week, a monster ride at the weekend followed by a recovery ride the next day. In addition there are 5 gym based sessions a week. The days where I cycle into work, I am on the road at 6.30am, a gym session at lunch before getting back on the road at 5.30pm. There have already been some tough days, tired legs, sacrificing time with the family and the lads and plenty of moments where I’ve questioned whether I have taken on more than I should.

But that’s the point.

You keep going.

I want my little girl to grow up knowing that when something feels impossible, you don’t necessarily have to accept that it is.

You put your mind to it, find a way and keep moving forward.

So I am asking for your support.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help the Black Dog Institute continue their vital work in mental health.

If you can spare anything, I would be incredibly grateful.

780k. 7 days. 8,500m of climbing. One very big challenge.

All for mental health. 🖤🚴‍♂️

Thank you for supporting me.