WITH running shoes ready, a Buninyong man is preparing to put his best foot forward to raise funds for a cause close to his heart.<\/p>\n
On the first Sunday each month for the past two years, Justin Thompson has been hosting barbecue get-togethers near the Lake Wendouree North Gardens rotunda as part of men\u2019s mental health non-profit Mr Perfect.<\/p>\n
In September, he\u2019ll swap out his barbecue apron for a pair of running shoes to support the organisation by taking part in the Surf Coast Century\u2019s 100-kilometre circuit.<\/p>\n
Though he\u2019s set a fundraising goal of $5000 for Mr Perfect, he said seeking to increase mental health awareness is his main goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fully funded and there\u2019s over 30 barbecue hosts in Australia,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in Ballarat, mental health, particularly for men, is something that really needs to be focused on more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the winters we have, I think we like to talk about seasonal depression, but it\u2019s important people are doing things like going outdoors, being fit, even coming to one of our barbecues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a positive flow-on effect, and especially important to highlight here.\u201d<\/p>\n
With no prior interest in running and going through his own mental health difficulties, Mr Thompson took up the exercise during COVID lockdowns.<\/p>\n
Since making it a part of his regular routine, he\u2019s run in four marathons including a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis research and is set to take part in an event this weekend at You Yangs.<\/p>\n
He said the Surf Coast Century will be a new challenge for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something a bit bigger where I can up the ante and do something specifically for Mr Perfect as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a typical runner as such. It was more about not so much the physical benefits but the mental side of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
The run will start and end in Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road on Saturday 16 September.<\/p>\n
Mr Thompson\u2019s GoFundMe page can be found at bit.ly\/43lXNm2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH running shoes ready, a Buninyong man is preparing to put his best foot forward to raise funds for a cause close to his heart. On the first Sunday each month for the past two years, Justin Thompson has been hosting barbecue get-togethers near the Lake Wendouree North Gardens rotunda as part of men\u2019s mental […]<\/p>\n