Run for mental health cause

Former Narrogin resident Jordan Grooby is preparing for the run of his life, the equivalent of 13 marathons in 13 days, from the MCG to Adelaide Oval.

Mr Grooby will embark on the 726km journey on June 18 to raise money and awareness for mental health services, partnering with Beyondblue.

A $10,000 donation is the aim for the service Mr Grooby once used.

“I actually used Beyondblue services. I just wasn’t feeling right. Their services on their website helped me going to my GP to get help for myself,” he said.

“I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I wanted to give back by doing this run from the MCG to Adelaide Oval.

“Without them, I don’t know where I would be today.”

Reaching out for help is the first step in the battle with mental illness, Mr Grooby said.

“The best thing you can do is talk to people about it,” he said. “For me bottling it up inside, kept building it up and made me feel worse and worse.

“As soon as I started talking to people, it was amazing how much better I felt, and they obviously notice things about you that are different as well.

“Talking to people is a thousand per cent the best thing you can do.”

Mr Grooby is originally from Adelaide but moved to Narrogin at the start of high school, spending his entire secondary schooling at NSHS.

He then moved to Perth for university. He still lives in Perth, but returns to the region often when lining up for Brookton/Pingelly in the UGSFL.

“The MCG and Adelaide Oval are two places that mean a lot to me. I love footy so the MCG, and I grew up watching cricket at Adelaide Oval,” he said.

Donations can be made by searching “Beyond the Border” on Facebook.