Stepping forward for mental health

A GEELONG local is bravely putting one foot in front of the other next month to raise funds for a vital cause.

Annette Spurr will participate in the Black Dog Institute’s One Foot Forward campaign – a virtual walking challenge running through October for Mental Health Month.

The national campaign encourages thousands of Australians to walk, run or move a distance that suits them to raise awareness of the five million Australians who experience a mental illness every year.

Ms Spurr will be participating for a second consecutive year. She was first motivated to join the challenge after chatting to a colleague at Deakin University.

“I am very keen to get started,” she said. “I am a bit of a couch potato, especially over winter, so this is also good motivation to get back out there and get moving, which is also good for both my mental and physical health.

“This is a very personal cause for me because, like many others reading this, I have dealt with mental health struggles in my immediate family. I truly believe that if lots of us do a small part, together we can make a big difference.”

Aside from her daily 1km walk to work, Ms Spurr plans to undertake two separate day hikes along the Barwon River and a day hike in the Grampians.

She has set herself a $200 fundraising goal, but hopes to exceed this figure.

“This year I am challenging myself to walk a little bit further and to raise double the amount,” she said.

“I don’t have a presence on social media – yes, there are still a few of us out there – so I’ll mainly be sharing my goals with family and friends.

“It’s fantastic that more of the funds raised by participants will go to help fund the vital research that the Black Dog Institute undertakes, and the services they provide.”

To donate to the cause and for more information, head to onefootforward.org.au.