A MAN on a mission to walk around Australia and raise money for Beyond Blue is set to arrive in Bendigo this Friday.<\/p>\n
With a fund raising goal of $50,000, Warren Wright said the journey is expected to take \u201canother three more years, at least\u201d, but is all about giving back to an organisation that supported him during his own mental health issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives Beyond Blue the resources to train people to get on the phone when some people need to ring and get help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Wright said walking was also a way of treating his own mental health issues, which became particularly challenging during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first walk I did was only about a year and a half ago. I did Tamworth to Adelaide and back and that was before COVID, and I was having a bit of a rough time then.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen when COVID hit I was relying on exercises and doing physical activity to help my mental situation out, and then when we couldn\u2019t do anything I said \u2018bugger this, when this thing calms down a bit I\u2019m going for a walk\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Depending on terrain, Mr Wright said he covers anywhere between 20 to 40 kilometres a day, stopping for rests or to wait out poor weather as needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was doing New South Wales to Victoria I was going up to 30 to 40 kilometres a day but when I was in Tasmania I had so many hills I was only doing 20 kilometres a day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n