Carry the load

I'm fundraising for...

190 construction workers lose their life to suicide every year in Australia. I’m running 190km this September to say, it's time for change.

I'm Bardie, I’ve worked in the construction industry for over 8 years. I became a tradie when I was 18, and as I moved further into the industry and my apprenticeship, I began silently struggling with my mental health. Like many others, I didn’t feel I could speak up. And for years I didn't, I struggled in silence, leading me down a path that made me believe that suicide was my only option. When I was only 19 I nearly became one of the statistics I'm running to change. 

From that moment I recognised things needed to change, and I began looking for support in our industry, soon realising it wasn't there. 

Years have passed since this point in my life, and I feel privileged to have accessed the tools I needed to be here today. Since TIACS launched in June 2020 I have used and recommended their service many times. 

Because it's not just me, it's many of us. I've worked alongside many tradies who felt they had nowhere to turn for help, and no way out of the cycles, or tight spaces they had found themselves in. 

That’s why I’m raising money for TIACS. Having a counselling service that is free, accessible and tailored to blue collar workers is changing the lives of our workers through real and reliable counselling. 

On September 20–21, I’ll run 190km over a  48 hour period. That’s one kilometre for every construction worker we lose to suicide each year in Australia alone. 

This run isn’t just about awareness,  it’s about real change and investing in the support systems and tools that are making a difference across our industry. 

If you’ve lost someone, know someone, or simply believe we deserve better. I’d love for you to help me support this change. Every dollar raised goes straight to TIACS.

Let’s honour every life lost, and fight for the ones still here.