"I just got to a point in my life where I needed a new mission. My professional sports career was over, my coaching was dwindling, my marriage had broken up," he said. "I think my life could have gone two different ways. I could continue to be on my own and develop bad habits. But I knew there was a different me. I needed to work on myself."

Mr Walker said he was privileged to have access to a sport psychologist through his professional networks. However, deciding to focus on giving back to the community, through endeavors such as his 10-hour stair climb at Merewether Baths for ex-service personnel support organisation Soldier On, had gone along way to giving him a renewed sense of purpose.

On January 24 and 25, Mr Walker will walk and run 100 kilometres over two days around the foreshore of Newcastle to raise money for Lifeline Direct, which provides face-to-face counselling and 24/7 crisis support in the Hunter region.

In this endeavour, 12 others will join the Charlestown resident on the journey. The community is invited to register to participate in the last 10, five or two kilometres of the inaugural event, called the Newy 100, which will end at Newcastle Ocean Baths.

So far the group has raised upwards of $20,000.

Mr Walker said the other 12 participants had their own reasons as to why Lifeline's mission of providing suicide prevention and mental health support was important to them.

"Lifeline is a service that basically covers everyone, the whole spectrum of the community," he said.

You can donate to the Newy 100 team by visiting Everydayhero.

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