Team ReachOut and Race is in training for upcoming running festivals across the country, all of them raising funds for ReachOut Australia and awareness of youth mental health.
The 63 runners are training hard and fundraising in places like Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, with the biggest group of 40 building up for the Sydney City2Surf on Sunday, 14 August.
Every runner in Team ReachOut and Race (ROAR) has a passion for youth mental health, and some have shared with us how their own lives have been touched by mental health.
21-year-old Braydan Fenwick lives in Goulburn, and hopes that he can make tough times easier for young people by raising funds and awareness for youth mental health.
‘As a young male I know firsthand that it's a horrible feeling admitting that you are not okay and you do need help – nobody wants to accept that. So I'm doing my part to influence the young members of my community and show them that it is okay to reach out, because we all need a little hand up sometimes.’
Another of our awesome runners, Cristina Talacko, a 46-year-old from Darling Point in Sydney, says more needs to be done to provide young people in need with a safety net.
‘I have always been passionate about youth mental health because two of my children, who are now adults, lost peers to suicide and anorexia during their teenage years,’ says Cristina.
Yvette Hamilton is a 39-year-old mother of two from Stanmore. When she set her fundraising goal for Sydney’s City2Surf, she didn’t realise she would beat it so quickly.
‘I decided to dig out an old photo of myself at 18 years old and put it up on Facebook in order to personalise my shout-out for fundraising support. I wrote about how, while I had my usual share of teen dramas at that age, I was in pretty good mental health, but that thousands of other young Australians are not. It certainly got a bit of attention, and helped me almost reach my goal in just one day!’
When asked her goal time for Sydney’s City2Surf, Yvette says ‘Honestly? My goal is just to run the whole thing without walking any of it … this post-baby body would be well chuffed with that achievement!’
Jen Arceo, ReachOut’s Community Fundraising Coordinator, has a few top tips for our fundraisers.
‘Every day I get messages from runners in Team ROAR and it’s incredibly inspiring. Not only are they keen to smash a personal goal, they also want to make sure that their friends and family know about ReachOut and fundraising helps us do that. Some of the things that gets them to their fundraising target include sharing their reason for joining the team, suggesting a donation amount like $50 (helping 25 young people) and uploading and sharing their training routes.
‘Definitely the best part of running with Team ROAR is the family and friends cheering at the finish line. It’s an incredible adrenaline rush, and makes all the training and fundraising worthwhile,’ Jen adds.
If you’re keen to raise funds or join a running festival, check out what’s on near you.
