Making every step count in the fight for mental health
Last year, I thought signing up for the Sydney Marathon was a great idea. Fast forward 12 months, and—like most things in my life —I'm heading into it pretty unprepared and largely intending to wing it.
Unfortunately, on the 1 September life threw a curveball that I could have never prepared for. I lost my brother, Cameron, to his long and courageous battle with mental health. For years, he showed incredible strength and resilience, fighting challenges most of us could barely comprehend.
Since then I’ve realised that, despite the progress we’ve made, there’s still so much more we urgently need to understand about mental health. This is where the Black Dog Institute comes in—they’re leaders in mental health research, education, and support, working to reduce the stigma around mental illness and provide essential resources and support to Australians affected by mental illness and suicide.
I’ll be running the marathon on Sunday 15 September, exactly two weeks after we lost Cameron, and I know I’ll be thinking of him every step of the way. But I wanted to do more than that, so I’ve decided to donate $10 for every kilometre I run to the Black Dog Institute. It’s my way of running not just for Cameron and my family, but for everyone facing similar battles—to help ensure we keep learning and finding better ways to support those who need it most.
Originally, I was just going to personally donate, but this cause is so important that I figured a fundraising page wouldn't go astray. Any donations would mean the absolute world, or if you’re not in a position to donate, even checking out the Black Dog’s resources, learning about mental health, finding out how to support loved ones, or where to get help if you need it, would be more than enough.
You can find resources here: Mental health resources and tools - Black Dog Institute | Better Mental Health
