Long-time advocates for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and providers of “two wheel” support for key sporting events, Black Dog Ride, have partnered with the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Wollongong this October.
World Triathlon Championship Finals Event Director, Luke Palmer said Black Dog Ride has an especially strong affiliation with elite and age group triathlon events across Australia and I am delighted to have them on board for the World Triathlon Championship Finals.
“During the World Championship Finals we will have temporarily closed roads so the Black Dog Ride crew will be providing vital logistical/transport support, ferrying key race officials, medical teams, videographer and the photographers around the course during the four days of racing.”
“At the same time, Black Dog Ride mascot Winston and their supporters will be on location in Wollongong to raise awareness of mental health issues and undertake fund raising activities to provide financial support to community groups in their work relating to depression and suicide prevention.”
Black Dog Ride National Moto Co-ordinator, Jeremy Gill said the Black Dog Ride began in 2009, to raise awareness of depression, and over the past 15 years has evolved into a national charity involving thousands of Australians who have raised millions for mental health programs and fostered mental health awareness around the nation.
“Back in 2009, a friend of Steve Andrews had suicided and Steve thought ‘What can I do to bring this out in the open, have people know what’s happening and give them opportunity to talk about it.”
“So, Steve set off on his motorcycle riding around Australia to raise awareness of the issue and some money while he was doing it. The most important thing he did was to raise the awareness which is what we’re all about today.”
“For us to have the opportunity to work with the World Triathlon championships is two fold. Our riders provide much needed transport support but at the same time it gives us an avenue to speak to another audience, to more people, to reach out to them and say that is okay to talk about depression and mental health.”
“To raise awareness is our number one focus and by being part of these big events people can see our mascot Winston (named after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who referred to his depression as the ‘black dog’), our riders and support team and ask the question ‘What are you and what are you do?’.”
“Our riders will have high vis vests with Black Dog Ride on the back and on the front and we are hoping to have Winzilla, our big inflatable black dog set up. Winzilla is huge and he just creates attention and great for kids and families. The first thing they want to do is come up and get a photo and that gives us the opportunity to break the ice and say ‘It’s okay to talk about depression. It’s okay to say I’m having trouble. I’m struggling’.”
“Thankfully of recent years we have found people are loosening up in their conversations about depression which is important. In the past people held it in and there was a lot of embarrassment, and I hate to say it shame. What we want to do is eradicate that and say look ‘there’s no shame in it’. The more we can get that message out there, the more beneficial it is to everyone,” Mr Gill said.
National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHW) estimates that 22% of the Australian population (4.3 million people) aged 16–85 had experienced a mental illness in the previous 12 months, while 43% of the population (8.5 million people) had experienced a mental illness during their life.
To find out more about Black Dog Ride visit the website.
