Tania Cahill completed 100 kilometres in 15 hours to raise money for R U OK?
Tania Cahill completed a 100 kilometre run on Saturday to raise awareness for mental health.
Tania was meant to travel to an event on Saturday where she would run 100 kilometres but due to COVID she was unable to attend.
Tania didn’t want to let the opportunity to run 100 kilometres slip away so decided to do the run at home while raising money for R U OK?.
Tania decided to raise money for R U OK? after she had enough of her own mental health problems and to also raise awareness after her nephew, Brendon Holmes, lost his own mental health battle in 2019.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through what we went through after Brendon passed away.”
Tania started the run on Saturday morning at 7am and finished 15 hours later around 10pm and believes the hardest part was the mental battle.
“The challenge for me, was see to if I could do it on my own because I didn’t think anyone else would join in.”
“I had done around 40 kilometres on my own before people started to come out and walk with me and also do a bit of running as well.”
From the 45 kilometre mark onwards someone was always by Tania’s side helping her along the way. “Having these people with me helped me keep my mind off different things.”
After finishing the 100 kilometres Tania said she felt great.
“It was just a great feeling to finish something that you have started, to complete any goal there is always that sense of achievement.”
This isn’t the first time that Tania has run 100 kilometres but thought it would be a great way to raise awareness for mental health.
The idea came around when earlier in the year when Tania decided to put a fundraiser to raise money for R U OK? on her Facebook page for her birthday.
After Tania’s successful birthday fundraiser, other fundraisers were coming up on her Facebook page through the algorithm and came across the challenge that R U OK? are running.
In the month of July, R U OK? are running a challenge called K’s For R U OK? which is the challenge that Tania took part in.
Tania thought that this would be a great team challenge for her workplace, Raine and Horne in Young.
“I have got a few people to get a team together at work and hopefully I can get a few of them motivated to get out and do a few k’s.”
So far over 24,894 kilometres have been completed by 2,216 participants who have raised $146,945.
But Tania believes it’s about normalising, checking in with your mates and raising awareness rather than raising money.
Tania’s advice for anyone wanting to participate in the K’s For R U OK? fundraiser is to have a go.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 100 kilometres or 10 kilometres, if its a goal that you set for yourself it’s worth while and a great feeling.”
One thing Tania would like everyone to take away from her run is for people to be more aware of others circumstances and check in on your mates and family.
“Be aware of people’s moods, ask the question and listen then act on it.”
Anyone wishing to join the K’s For R U OK? fundraiser are urged to visit ksforruok.ruok.org.au to sign up.
Tahlia Crane
