⚠️ Content Warning
This episode contains open discussions about mental health and a suicide attempt. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready. There is no rush.
If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au
This week I sat down with Blake Bourne, and I am still wrapping my head around what this guy is capable of.
Blake just ran 1,200km solo and completely unassisted from Geelong to Sydney. No support crew, no team behind him, just his own two feet, his own mind, and whatever the road threw at him. He slept on park benches, pushed through rain for half the journey, and did it all to raise money for mental health charity Speak and Share. This comes off the back of last year's effort, where Blake became the youngest person ever to run across the Simpson Desert.
But the why behind all of this is the most important part of this conversation. Blake opens up about his own mental health struggles, including a suicide attempt, and how that experience shaped his mission to get people talking and taking action on their own mental health. This is a heavy episode, but it is also one of the most inspiring conversations I have had on the show.
In 2023, Blake started The Uncomfortable Challenge with one goal — to create real change in mental health. Since then the movement has raised over $60,000 for mental health initiatives across Australia, and it's running again all of July. Everyday people take on their own personal challenge to step outside their comfort zone, all in the name of mental health and raising funds for Speak and Share. He was recognised for this work as Citizen of the Year.
This one is raw, honest and will leave you wanting to go and do something uncomfortable yourself.
In this episode we cover:
- Running 1,200km solo and unassisted from Geelong to Sydney
- Sleeping on park benches and running through the rain
- Becoming the youngest person to run across the Simpson Desert
- Blake's own mental health struggles and his suicide attempt
- What recovery and purpose have looked like for him since
- Founding The Uncomfortable Challenge in 2023 and raising over $60,000 for mental health
- How people can get involved in The Uncomfortable Challenge this July
- What embracing discomfort has taught him about growth
Get Involved
The Uncomfortable Challenge (running all of July)
https://www.uncomfortablechallenge.com/
If this episode brought something up for you:
📞 Lifeline
13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
💻 Beyond Blue
beyondblue.org.au
💻 headspace
headspace.org.au
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