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A Gallagher broker will take on a 24-hour treadmill challenge to raise funds for preventing suicide in the country.
Tim Hardy, internal account executive at Gallagher’s Canberra branch, is aiming to raise $4,000 at the event organised by Anytime Fitness and Suicide Prevention Australia which will be held on May 26.
“I really want to get out there and help get people to talk about their mental health and feel more comfortable doing so,” Hardy said. “I don’t believe there is a stigma associated with mental illness any more, it is just about getting people to talk about it.”
Hardy is not a stranger to the challenges surrounding mental health and wellbeing, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013. He advises anyone struggling to seek help and open up about any issues.
“Everyone says talking is one of the best ways to deal with mental illness, and I 100% agree with that,” he said. “If people talk, they aren’t going to bottle it up and they start opening up and once they do it starts to snowball. Talking is probably one of the strongest preventions and help that you can get, just from a self-worth point.”
Hardy also recommends checking on one's own mental health to move forward.
“Do some research on your mental health, and understand what is going on with yourself,” the Gallagher broker said. “Your number-one priority is to understand you and your condition. Once you understand that you can accept it and start to feel more comfortable about it and you can then sort the treatment you need. No one knows how you feel and so every single treatment will be different for everyone.”
Click here here to donate to Hardy's cause.
