Lachlan Malcolm, all through the month of October, will honour his former Batemans Bay Cricket Club teammate Sean Griffin, by running 200km and riding 100km.
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Along with raising money, which has seen the Shoalhaven District Cricket Association product nearly reach his $3000 goal already, he aims to raise awareness for suicide and mental health awareness - through the help of the Black Dog Institute.
"I first came across the one-foot forward movement through Black Dog's Instagram," the 16-year-old said.
"It popped up on my feed and I was curious about what they were all about.
"After looking into it further, it resonated with me and I felt it was important for me to take part in the initiative, because of the experiences I've witnessed first-hand with people close to me dealing with mental illnesses.
"I've seen how much of an impact it has had on people and I personally wanted to raise awareness and try and help others who may experience these things."
Malcolm, who now plays for Western Districts in Canberra, has already chalked up more than 35kms out of his target.
"Going into the fundraiser, I didn't really have any goals, and even now I still don't," said the Batemans Bay High School student, who increased the run distance from 100km to 200km to make it more challenging on himself.
"The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise awareness and show that no one is alone."
Since starting his journey, Malcolm has been inundated by people wanting to support him but also join in with his running and riding.
"The support has been unreal by friends, family and even local businesses, who have really gotten around me and either donated or reached out and expressed how impressed they were in me," he said.
"I also created a team at the start of the fundraiser called the 'mental health matters' team - the idea of this was if people like me have had experiences or know of people who have had experiences and really want to jump on board.
"This team is there for them to join and together work to raise as much money and awareness as possible."
Numbers to call if you or anyone you know needs help:
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue 1300224636
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