THREE locals have joined together to walk in support of veterans’ mental health, meeting at the Y three times a week to take part in fitness effort.
know as the March On Challenge, local organiser Christine Brown said undertakes fundraising to support veterans in seeking mental health support.
“They raise money for veterans mental health and suicide prevention and awareness,” she said.
“What we’re walking for is to help pay for their psychology visits and funding for all mental health issues.”
The fundraising effort is called March On, and teams of walkers from throughout Australia can sign up to walk a set distance and fundraise for the cause.
Ms Brown’s team of three which includes Elaine Fotheringham, Caroline Nelson and herself, are walking 96 kilometers.
“Which is the length of the Kokoda Track,” Ms Brown said.
“Because my father was on the Kokoda Track. When I was really struggling last year, I had my dad behind me, sort of my dad’s stories to me as I was growing up, about the Kokoda track and how hard it was.”
All three women have a close connection with the cause.
Ms Brown said she’s lived with veterans for 70 years, her entire life.
“I had a World War II veteran father, my husband was post Vietnam, and my two sons in East Timor and Afghanistan,” she said.
“So it’s dear to my heart. We have mental health issues in our family related to it, and they get support.”
Ms Fotheringham served as a nurse in the South African Defence Force for 18 years.
“Even though we never did international wars, we had our own border wars in South Africa, and the guys coming back, you’d see the torment, so I wanted to see what I could raise to help,” she said.
“My father was in the navy for 40 years, so I’ve also been a military child.”
Ms Nelson is ex-military herself and lives with the trauma, so said she decided it was time to get involved.
According to the March On website, ex-serving men are 112 per cent more likely to die by suicide than other Australian men, and ex-serving women are at 107 per cent.
The three will walk on the treadmills at the Y throughout the month to accumulate 96 kilometres walked collectively.
Ms Fotheringham said the Y has been incredibly supportive of their effort.
“They’ve been so supportive and have even set up a donation jar right next to the til for people to drop their spare change from their coffee order,” she said.
They trio are hoping to raise $2000 and have already raised $1114. Donations to the cause can be made via marchonchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/brokenhillpryme.
