Gumboot crew break record to kick off Mental Health Awareness Week

_{Project Gumboot members, centre, left to right: Tom Irvine, Nikolai Murray, Ben Barrett and Jack Eales}

Four Ara Institute of Canterbury Sustainability and Outdoor Education ākonga have gone the distance for youth mental health, completing a 24-hour challenge around Christchurch's One New Zealand Stadium while raising awareness and support for I Am Hope's Gumboot Friday initiative.

Project Gumboot members Tom Irvine, Nikolai Murray, Ben Barrett and Jack Eales circled the stadium around the clock, completing 172 laps, covering an impressive 116.08km and notching up 158,560 steps.

Much of the challenge was completed in gumboots, with the team clocking up their first 50km before blisters and an aggravated meniscus eventually forced a change of tactics.

“There’s only so much a fresh pair of socks will do when your feet are getting hammered,” Irvine laughed.

Rugged footwear aside, they appear to have set an unofficial record for the most laps completed around the venue.

The challenge was timed for Mental Health Awareness Week and is part of a wider mission the group has set for themselves: encouraging open conversations about mental health while supporting I Am Hope's Gumboot Friday initiative, which provides free counselling for young people aged 5 to 18.

Founded by the Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education ākonga at Ara, Project Gumboot was inspired by the team's own experiences and those of friends and whānau.

"We’ve had our own experiences and had lots of friends and family struggle with their mental health, so this project is allowing us to give back and help others with their own mental health journeys," Tom Irvine said.

Beginning at midday on Sunday, the team ensured at least one person was on the move at all times for the full 24 hours.

The team had plenty of support from stadium-goers attending two major rugby fixtures on Sunday afternoon, including the National Provincial Championship men's quarter-final and the Farah Palmer Cup final.

But as night fell and Monday dawned, it was support from the Ara community that helped carry them through the physical challenge.

"It was amazing to see students from all three years of the Outdoor Education degree come out and join us," Irvine said.

"We also had heaps of staff joining us for laps throughout the challenge. Having people there alongside us, especially during the night, made a huge difference as the hours and laps ticked by. "By the end, our bodies were tired, but our spirits were high, and we’re stoked to have broken the record too," Irvine said.

The stadium challenge is only the beginning. On 22 November, Project Gumboot will begin an even bigger adventure, travelling more than 300km across Te Waipounamu from Ross on the West Coast to Gore Bay on the East Coast. The journey will involve walking, cycling and packrafting, with much of it completed in gumboots to symbolise the challenges many people face when navigating their own mental health journey.

Murray said the challenges they're setting themselves were never meant to be easy.

"We want to push ourselves and we want to get the word out. We want people to be able to be open and share, and we hope that if we can share our journeys and stories, other people will have the courage to speak up about their own as well."

The project has also highlighted the close bonds formed through the Sustainability and Outdoor Education programme.

Although the four students have only known each other since starting at Ara this year, they quickly formed a close bond through their studies and a shared love of the outdoors.

"It's awesome to see a group of guys do this because it's not commonly seen," Irvine said. "We just want to encourage people to speak up. Don't be afraid. It's scary to speak out, but there are people around who will listen."

To support Project Gumboot, visit their fundraising page: Project Gumboot GiveaLittle