Alan Thorpe is on the final stretch of a nearly 800 km walk from Ballarat to Canberra, raising awareness for men’s mental health. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
CONTENT WARNING: This story discusses suicide.
Alan Thorpe has experienced a lot of pain in his life, having lost many loved ones to suicide.
He has seen and experienced men battling with their mental health often, and it is something he wishes to shed light on, one step at a time.
One man dies every three hours to suicide and Alan is using that statistic as motivation to create change and bring awareness by walking extreme lengths, with his most recent journey taking him from Ballarat to Canberra, via towns such as Wagga Wagga and Albury.
The month-long trip covers nearly 800 kilometres, which he hopes will attract the attention of the Federal Government to address men’s physical and mental health issues and reduce the number of suicide-related deaths each year.
“I officially kicked this trip off in Ballarat on 20 October,” Alan said.
“I’ve currently walked over 550 km and have a few hundred left to go. I should be arriving at Parliament House in Canberra on 19 November, which is International Men’s Day.
“On that day, there will be 2500 shoes laid out the front of parliament to represent the lives of men and boys who have died.
“Roughly seven men and boys die every day. This is because of a range of different things, not just mental health. A lot of the time, it’s things like splitting with a wife or partner, losing a job or losing their house.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the means at the moment to provide for men when they’re desperate. That’s what I’m trying to bring attention to with this walk.”
Despite having walked more than 550 km in just 20 days, Alan said he was not feeling any fatigue or pain in his feet. Photo: Supplied.
Alan recounted his personal experiences, which included his separating from the mother of his children and a period of homelessness.
“‘I’ve been in that position. I’ve been forced to live in a share house with 12 other men, including some who abused drugs,” he said.
“I was told to lift myself up and try to put my life back together with little to no support. Luckily, I’m still here today to tell the story. A lot of other dads aren’t.
“That’s what this walk is about. We don’t need any more band-aid solutions. We need to put things in place to support men when they need it the most. Otherwise, the number will continue to rise.
“A lot of the time, it’s the women who have the kids, and they’re able to get a temporary house and whatever else they need. The dads are meant to leave that family setup and completely reset to even visit their own kids.
“It’s honestly a bit of a joke how little support men in these scenarios have. How is a man who is at rock bottom supposed to better himself when he has absolutely no support?”
When at his lowest, Alan said he turned to walking as a means to lift himself up, and now it had helped him raise more than $80,000 for mental health-related charities.
“It honestly saved my life,” he said.
“I was 155 kg, I was having seizures, and I was on suicide watch. My doctor said, ‘Why don’t you try going for walks?’
“One day, I said, ‘Screw it’, and I did. The first day wasn’t too far, but by the end of the month, I was doing 10 km each time. By the end of the second month, I decided I was going to walk to Adelaide (from Ballarat).”
Since his first walk, Alan has travelled from Ballarat to Adelaide on foot four times and has become a top five individual money raiser for Beyond Blue.
Alan said he truly believed in the healing power of physical activity and would recommend it to anyone going through a tough time.
“Everyone online says do this or do that. Honestly, getting active is the best thing you can do,” he said.
“It’s free, you don’t have to book an appointment or wait weeks to get in. You just put your shoes on and go.
“I’ll swear this every day, there’s nothing more rejuvenating than going on a good walk.”
To follow Alan on his walk to Canberra, be sure to visit his Facebook page Iwalkformensmentalhealth.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.auMensLine Australia – 1300 789 978.
