I'm walking to remember those lost to suicide and help people in crisis

Tragically, every year, more than 65,000 Australians attempt to take their own life, and more than 3,000 Australians die by suicide.

Lifeline receives over 1 million contacts from people in crisis every year.

Behind every number is a person. A life. A story. And a family, a friendship, a community left carrying the weight of their absence.

And as someone who has been a part of that 65,000, I cannot begin to express how deeply this cause means to me.

Last October, I tried to take my own life. I had given up completely and desperately wanted an escape. For a long time, most days — if not every day — were spent wishing I wasn’t here.

To be here now, to be able to write these words and share a part of my journey, is something I will never take for granted.

So many people have lost their battle with mental health before they had the chance to find their way back. Before they received the help they needed. Before they were given the time they deserved.

And every one of those people was so much more than a statistic.

They were somebody’s friend. Somebody’s sister or brother. Somebody’s mum or dad. Somebody’s daughter or son. Somebody’s girlfriend or boyfriend. Somebody’s grandma, grandpa, aunty or uncle.

Somebody’s person.

The people who helped me most when I was struggling weren’t the ones who tried to pull me out of the hole I was in. They were the ones who climbed into it with me.

They couldn’t climb out for me. They couldn’t make the darkness disappear. But they stayed beside me until, eventually, I found a way to climb out myself.

And sometimes, I think, that is what saving someone looks like — not dragging them into the light, but sitting beside them in the dark until they can find it for themselves.

For World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, I will be taking part in Out of the Shadows, walking in memory of the 9 Australians lost to suicide every day.

I’m walking to raise funds for Lifeline, helping provide suicide prevention services and support to Australians who are struggling and need someone to be there.

If you’re able to, please support my walk and sponsor me. Every contribution helps someone feel a little less alone when they need it most.

Because no one should have to face their darkest moments alone.

And sometimes, all someone needs is for another person to sit beside them in the dark — until they’re ready to find the light.