Amelia’s walking 100km for mental health

LOSING friends, class mates and people she knows to suicide has inspired Amelia Wood to walk 100km for mental health this month.

The St Albans Park teen is fundraising for “One Foot Forward”, which will help Black Dog Institute put ground-breaking new mental health tools that work into the hands of people who need them.

Amelia, 15, attends Geelong High School and said over the past few years she had lost friends, class mates, and even people close to her losing their relatives and friends to suicide.

“I also see people in the community struggle with their mental health due to COVID-19,” she said.

“I want to raise money that goes towards life changing research into treatments and suicide prevention of mental illness.”

Amelia said throughout the month of October she would be walking the 100km by doing a bit each day across her local suburbs.

According to the Black Dog Institute, one in five people experience symptoms of mental illness each year, and every day in Australia, eight people will die from suicide.

“Sixty per cent of people living with mental illness will not seek help and more people aged between 15 to 44 years die from suicide than cancer or road accidents.

“Mental illness can be debilitating and can have a devastating impact on not only those living with it, but those around them.”
Amelia has already raised more than $350, with a target of $500.

If you’d like to support the cause, make a donation by heading to onefootforward.org.au/fundraisers/ameliawood