A Winchelsea man who lost his cousin to suicide last year has organised a walk in his honour, raising awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
Robert “Charlie” Earl was travelling to Queensland in October last year when he received news of his cousin’s suicide.
He was on his way to participate in the Conquer the Corrugations walk, an event supporting and remembering those affected by mental illness.
Mr Earl immediately flew back to Victoria for his cousin’s funeral, but he was resolved to finish the 42-kilometre walk and ultimately returned to Queensland to complete it.
Coping with mental illness had been an issue for Mr Earl, who said he developed anxiety after a string of major life changes, including the loss of his wife to cancer.
“I didn’t realise that I had a problem because I just thought it was just the way it was,” he said.
The combination of his own struggles and his cousin’s recent suicide motivated Mr Earl to organise his own iteration of the ‘Conquer the Corrugations’ walk in Victoria.
The walk will span the 17 kilometre distance between Winchelsea to Inverleigh, and people can also walk back.
Participants have the option of a one-way, one day event, or they can participate over two days and do the return journey.
It will take place on May 27 and 28.
There will be a bus accompanying walkers so any participants who tire can ride part way.
During the 16-hour walk, Mr Earl hopes to encourage conversation between participants about their own mental health struggles, removing the stigma around mental illness.
“I’d like to get our community to be more resilient and more aware,” he said.
“The other thing about this walk is you don’t have to have a problem … you can walk along and talk to the people that have got problems …[and] it helps you understand what other people are going through,” he said.
Visit www.conquerthecorrugations.com.au/Victoria2023 for more information and to register.
Mr Earl is calling for people to register as soon as possible for catering purposes.
Mr Earl can be reached on 0428522695.
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Barwon Health mental health, drugs and alcohol triage on 1300 094 187
Loading embed…