Every year I take part in Movember I start with this 'my motivation' statement... It's usually generic and touches on what I will be doing to raise awareness and funds. It's not generic on purpose, I just have never really been sure why I take part, it's just something that I have felt compelled to do. This last year or two I have found my life and the lives of friends and family around me directly affected by mental health and by suicide. It's scary how quickly you can go from being ok, to really not. Small things compounding to a point where it feels so heavy there's just a fog that you can't see past. Becoming a dad this year has changed my perspective on everything too. I think alot of the example I will set for my little girl and the legacy I will leave behind. Since joining Vipers RC I've been lucky to be surrounded with an incredible community that normalise these topics, provide me with a platform to learn and upskill myself, with accidental counselling, mental health first aid but more importantly making these conversations normal and part of daily life. I'm taking these skills into my other communities, family, work and other friendship networks and I know it's having an impact. I now have conversations with my dad, my wife, my mates, that I didn't know how to have 3 years ago. I love that choosing to take part in Movember and Vipers has done this for me, I know now why I sign up to Movember every year, why I shave off my beard and grow an awful moustache, and why I choose to raise money by challenging myself to run the distances that I do. I want to be a better man, husband, father, friend, colleague and I want to make a difference because the statistics are terrifying. Every 60 minutes, 60 men lose their life to suicide around the world... this is a statistic that just shouldn't be true, it's leaving holes in family's, friendship groups and workplaces on a frightening scale, over 10,000 men per week. This year along with Vipers RC I will be raising money and awareness to try and help change this statistic for our friends, brothers, dads and sons. Along with starting the conversation by sporting a moustache I will be completing the following; ✅️ Running 80km on November 5th in the Bondi to Manly Ultra event ✅️ ✅️ Participating in the [mo]ve for 60, a relay event with Vipers RC starting November 10th at 6am, running continuously until 6pm Saturday 12th, a total of 60hours ✅️ *Running 30km on November 26th as part of the [mo]re than a run campaign Please help keep me accountable by donating what you can.