John Dean is on a mission - a 2000km mission.
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The 31-year-old is putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step and one day at a time to raise money and awareness for beyondblue.
beyondblue is a non-profit organisation working to raise awareness of depression, anxiety and suicide prevention, reduce the stigma surrounding these issues and to encourage people to seek support when they need it.
John left his family and friends in Adelaide on April 5 and set out on an epic journey to walk the 2106 km to Maroochydore, a trip that would take you 24 hours to drive in a car.
John had passed his halfway point when he reached Parkes on Sunday.
“I have about four weeks and two days to go,” he said.
“I don’t know if my legs will ever forgive me.
“My goal is to raise money for beyondblue, but more importantly awareness around the unbelievable amount of Australians suffering with depression and anxiety.
“Eight or nine Australians are committing suicide every day.”
John said he aims to get these figures down by shining some light on people in dark and hard times.
“Last year was a really bad year for me and I'm still dealing with my pain,” he said.
“But I'm the luckiest guy I know with lots of amazing friends and family supporting me.
“I am so grateful for the support, but it only make me realise how many people are not so lucky.
“If I can inspire at least one person not to give up on life, it will make this journey worth every step.”
John said he has met many wonderful people along the way who have helped him in so many different ways.
“Already I'm receiving so many emails and texts from complete strangers telling me I give them the strength to get out of bed each day,” he said.
“I had no idea how big this would become for me and I feel very proud to be a part of this event.”
John is pulling two trailers of supplies that weigh 20 kg more than he does.
“Not only because I have no support vehicle, but to also say I could be carrying a friend and how far would you carry a friend in need?”
You can contribute to John’s goal of raising $10,000 for beyondblue on his mycause page here
