130km ultra run to support mental health programs

TWO Torquay men will attempt to run 130km in a single day to raise money for local mental health charity The Shaka Project.

Lachlan Wright and Dan Donaldson will tackle the ultra-marathon on 6 September, setting off from The Shaka Project headquarters in Torquay before looping through the Geelong waterfront and around the Bellarine Peninsula, with the aim of returning by sunset.

Wright said the challenge was inspired by the impact mental health struggles had on people close to him and in the wider community.

“Over the past five or six years, we’ve had a lot of local men go down the mental health challenge route,” he said.

“Dan and I decided enough is enough and we need to do something about it and help spark some change.

“I thought this was another great opportunity to give back.”

Founded in 2019, The Shaka Project delivers free mental health and suicide prevention workshops to schools, sporting clubs, workplaces and community groups.

The pair hope to raise $15,000 to support the charity’s work.

“We reached out to the Shaka Project, who put on some great functions and events to help men in our area,” Wright said.

“These workshops can be life changing, 100 per cent. They are very important and we have seen that firsthand.”

For more information or to donate, follow Lachlan Wright on Instagram @Milesbeyondlimits