General News
17 April, 2023
Alan on track with mental health fundraiser
The decision to go for a walk one day changed Alan Thorpe’s life, with the Ballarat resident having raised close to $40,000 for mental health organisation BeyondBlue and his newest walk bringing him right through Maryborough. Currently walking 30...
The decision to go for a walk one day changed Alan Thorpe’s life, with the Ballarat resident having raised close to $40,000 for mental health organisation BeyondBlue and his newest walk bringing him right through Maryborough.
Currently walking 30 kilometres every day for 30 days as part of a fundraising effort for BeyondBlue, the latest stretch of Alan’s trek will bring him through Maryborough for a cause he says is close to home.
“I suffer mental health issues myself, there’s a history of suicide in my family and I was in a pretty dark place a couple of years ago,” he said.
“I decided one day to get up and start going for a walk, about a month into that I decided I was going to try and raise awareness for men’s mental health and money for BeyondBlue.
“Walking has been a blessing in itself for me, about two months after I started I got off my anti-depressants.
“I was sitting at home stuck in my own head and getting out walking is the best thing I’ve ever done and I figure if I can support others while I’m doing that, it’s got to be a good thing.”
This is the third fundraising walk Alan has organised, with the first being a walk from Ballarat to the South Australian border followed by a 500 kilometre walk around Ballarat.
Now halfway through his 30 day walk which has seen him pass through Ballarat and surrounds, Avoca, Lexton, Castlemaine, Snake Valley and Beaufort, Alan said the support he’s received from the community has been unreal.
“The messages of support I’ve been getting are what keeps me going, the support has blown me away,” he said.
“I’ve had people tell me that I’ve saved their life because I’ve motivated them to make changes to their lives.
“It’s gotten a lot further than I ever thought it would — I’ve had hundreds of messages from people saying how inspirational what I’m doing is, I’ve even had people from Canada and New Zealand reach out.
“What I’m doing has saved thousands of lives, it’s unreal.”
BeyondBlue has acknowledged the impact of Alan’s fundraising in a video sent to him, where the organisation said the money he’s raised has directly helped more than 450 people access support.
“This is all about spreading awareness and getting people to speak up,” he said.
Alan will arrive in Maryborough between 2 and 4 pm today, Tuesday, April 18 and will finish his walk at Princes Park.
To learn more about Alan’s mission or to donate online, head to team.beyondblue.org.au/a-thorpe. Donations can also be made at a number of local businesses that currently have donation boxes in-store.
If you or a loved one are in need of support, BeyondBlue can be contacted on 1300 224 636 or online at www.beyondblue.org.au.