When the clock strikes 7am on Thursday, Lyndsay Walker will be living up to his name as he walks up and down Strzelecki hill, a route he will continue for 24 hours straight.
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The mammoth journey marking the first day of winter, is an attempt for the 48 year-old to help spread awareness around mental health and suicide.
"Winter is the darkest season of the year and the walk is up a hill, which is a bit what life is like - sometimes climbing a hill," the mental health advocate said.
His walk will finish at 7am on Friday, showing there is "always light at the end of the tunnel".
"People's mental health can sometimes be dark so it reflects there is always light at the end," he said.
"It's going to be hard, I'll want to pull out and it's going to be tiring but I'm going to prove that you can get through the tough times for people that do have mental health issues."
Every year 46,000 Australians attempt suicide according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Mr Walker said in his role as a Lifeline crisis operator and his volunteer work with UMatter Awareness, it was important to talk about mental health.
"My partner Vicki and I share our own battles to create awareness because we don't want tragedy to happen to another family," he said.
"I know for a fact that a lot of people who do try, really wish they hadn't."
Mr Walker hoped through doing a mental health awareness walk, he could get people to take better care of themselves.
"What can you do each day to look after your mental health like you would put petrol in your car to make it run?," he said.
"So when the tough times come you can be a little bit more resilient."
He encouraged people to come over to Strzelecki hill, join him on the walk and strike up a conversation.
"It's about creating a conversation. Whatever goes on inside you, get it out. Don't keep it in there," he said.
"I'd love to have people turn up and have a conversation and it will get me through the time, that 24 hours a lot quicker than if I was there all my own."
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
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Alanna Tomazin
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
