Five men from Sydney’s North Shore have arrived in Tasmania after crossing the Bass Strait in gruelling conditions, aiming to draw attention to youth depression.
Key points:
- Five Sydney mates have kayak crossed from Gippsland to Tasmania to raise money for the Black Dog Institute
- The group completed the 13-day adventure in memory of their friend who died by suicide
- According to the Black Dog Insitute, one in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year
Edward Hosken, 21, Ben Taylor, 23, Tim Taylor, 22, Jono Hargreaves, 21, and Matt Taubam, 20, completed the 320-kilometre journey from Port Welshpool, Victoria, to Flinders Island in Tasmania to raise money for the Black Dog Institute in memory of their mate Dan, who died by suicide, aged 17.
The group, called Strait to Tassie, hoped to complete their journey in seven days, but the wild weather in Victoria meant the journey took 13 days.
“We’ve had 40kp/h headwinds, which is really not ideal kayak conditions, so we’ve had to bunker down on a couple of the islands on the way, which is why it’s taken a little more than expected,” Mr Hosken said.
“It’s been pretty hard on us — most days, we’ve been out on the kayak for 12 hours without a break.
“We all grew up in the scouting community in our area, and that’s where we got that taste for adventure … and we thought, ‘Hey, let’s get together and do something awesome.”’
The quintet, who landed at Little Musselroe Bay on Friday evening, set out to raise $100 per kilometre, but they have exceeded their goal, raising more than $38,000.
“We all lost a mate to mental health two years ago,” Mr Hosken said.
“It was mostly just a shock that something that severe could happen to someone so close and without even [anyone] noticing the signs.
“Our main goal is to encourage people to talk more openly about [mental health] and start an open conversation, just because it can go so unnoticed so easily.
“We figured this is a great way we can get together and just start a conversation to uncover the taboo on reaching out to help if you need it.”
In addition to uncovering taboos, the group also hopes to raise the profile of the not-for-profit Black Dog Institute.
“We’re doing it all to raise money for the Black Dog Institute, who [conduct] mental health research and awareness,” Mr Hosken said.
A spokesperson from the Black Dog Institute said the funds raised by the group would help to turn research into action.
“All funds raised by the Strait to Tassie support Black Dog Institute continues working to improve the lives of people impacted by mental illness through our ground-breaking research, national education programs and support services,” the spokesperson said.
“These donations allow us to support mental health research and continuously investigate the many ways mental health can be improved so we can ultimately help as many people as possible.
“Every dollar makes a huge difference.”
A recent Black Dog Institute report, Turning the Tide on Youth Depression, found a rise in the number of people with depression.
“The prevalence of depression has increased in Australia’s young adults, having more than doubled in those aged under 25 in the past 14 years,” the spokesperson said.
“One in five of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year — in Australia, that’s around 5 million people.
“Roughly 50 per cent of these people won’t seek help.”
While team Strait to Tassie intends to hang up the paddles and take a well-deserved rest, their adventure will act as a continued reminder to check in with each other.
“Have a chat with your friends and family — make sure everyone’s all right … encourage open conversations,” Mr Hosken said.
“And if possible, go donate to the cause [because] the Black Dog Institute is doing amazing things in high schools across the country, so it’s really important stuff.”
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