In the race for men’s mental health, the Heavy Breathers smashed not only their personal bests but the silence that surrounds the issue that resonates deeply with the group.
The Heavy Breathers, a group of 33 third-year boys, set out on a mission to raise money for men's mental health by running the Emerson’s Dunedin Marathon. Their proceeds went to Spark That Chat, a mental health awareness charity.
On Sunday, 10th September, proving motivation knows no bounds, the Heavy Breathers crossed the finish line. It was an incredible feat that tallied their collective distance to 7,718km, surpassing the distance from Dunedin to Indonesia. Heavy Breather Chris Mairs described it as “a massive sense of accomplishment and euphoria.”
After blood, sweat, tears and a broken bone, those who were uninjured or cast-less finished the run. Chris said that what got him through the marathon was “the idea that no matter what pain I was feeling at this time, men all around New Zealand face much bigger challenges everyday.” Will Saunders agreed: “I think we all lifted each other with the mentality of, ‘If he can, so can I.’”
Rightfully, they celebrated the day with a BBQ, two kegs, and various accolades. Among these honours, Zach Coventry claimed first place with a time of 3 hours and 22 minutes. ‘The OG Award’ was given to Tom Coffey in recognition of his role as the initiator of the event. Lastly, an award was given to one of the boys who, impressively, completed the 42km despite having covered less mileage in his training.
As of time of writing, the boys have raised an astonishing $94,524 - a far cry from their original target of $10k, and they’re pushing for $100k over the next few weeks. They’ve spread their message far and wide, making national headlines and, more importantly, igniting inspiration among youth across the motu.
After crossing both the finish line as well as the line of stigma, Chris said the message they want out there is to “talk to your mates and family… It doesn’t take much effort to have a conversation that goes deeper than surface level and, believe me, going past surface level can change peoples lives.”
After such an incredible journey, the group has expressed that they may be interested in keeping the Heavy Breathers going: “Stay tuned to find out.”