Running For A Life

Gidday guys! For the benefits of the 'Key To Life Charitable Trust', I have decided to run "The Hillary 2017" - an 80km Trail Ultra-marathon through the Waitakere Ranges.

I have never run an official 5k trail race, half marathon, marathon or anything in between. In fact, I haven’t run in a running race since the compulsory 5km cross-country runs that they made us all do at high school. I guess you could say that I have thrown myself in the deep end by having "The Hillary" as my first official race!

While I have many reasons to sign up for one of the most technical Ultra-marathons in New Zealand, they all centre around one event. In 2012 - without warning - my younger brother took his own life at age 19.

At the start of this year I decided that I wanted to do something to fundraise for the Key to Life (KTL) Charitable Trust (run by comedian Mike King) who was of assistance to my family following my brother’s death. I wanted to promote mental health and suicide awareness in hopes that even if one other family didn’t have to go through what mine had; then I had made a difference.

Every year over 500 New Zealanders commit suicide. That's enough people to fill over three commercial airliners, or three people every two days. Either way you look at it, the stats are appalling.

Mike, Jo and the team at KTL do an amazing job of visiting schools and clubs all through-out New Zealand. The provide awareness, community peer support, expertise, and create awareness around mental health and suicide prevention. They teach kids (and even us big kids) that there is always someone to talk to/ help you if life takes a turn for the worst. In reality, it's never THAT bad.

No matter how big or small your donations are, it all makes a difference! So click on the pink 'Donate' button, and together with the team at KTL, lets lower those stats!