A 96-kilometre trek up steep and slippery slopes in Papua New Guinea is perhaps not the way many athletes would choose to relax after a busy summer. But Ashleigh Nelson and Rachael Lynch, two of the Commonwealth Games gold-medal-winning squad, had their hearts set on supporting a charity that is leading the way when it comes to recognising mental health problems.
Ashleigh explains what the movement is all about: “RU Ok? is a charity group started up by an Australian son, after he lost his father to suicide. It aims to spread the simple statement of asking the question RU Ok? to increase people’s awareness of how those they come in contact with every day are feeling. It is a great initiative that is creating an environment where admitting to depression or other mental illness is no longer taboo and therefore encourages people to receive the treatment they require.”
In the weeks following the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, Ashleigh and Rachael decided to join a fundraising walk along the Kokoda Trail. Ashleigh says: “We would walk for 6-10 hours per day with some stops along the way. We could have done the trail quicker, however that would have meant less time meeting the locals and spending time in the villages, which was all part of the experience.
“We were actually quite underprepared in terms of hiking training as we went straight after the World Cup and Commonwealth Games,” laughs Ashleigh. “But fortunately we came out the other side relatively unscathed.”
The two players are ambassadors for the charity, giving talks and getting involved in other events. But the important thing, as both Rachael and Ashley stress, is taking the time to ask someone if everything is alright. Ashleigh says: “Most importantly, we ensure we embody the RU Ok? message and encourage others to ask the question ‘RU Ok?’ on a daily basis, face-to-face or through social media.”
And if the two players ever felt that the trek was getting too much, one person who had already done the trail provided all the inspiration they needed to keep going. Racheal says: “Kurt Fearnley is an Australian Paralympian who we met at the Commonwealth Games. In 2009, Kurt decided to crawl the Kokoda trail to raise funds and awareness for Movember and Beyond Blue. Ash and I spoke of Kurt a lot while walking as his perseverance and pure grit was something we both admired and kept in the back of our minds when things got tough.”
One of the messages from RU Ok? is that depression and mental illness can happen to anyone, at any time. Rachael explained how the idea of just taking a few moments to check someone is feeling okay is relevant within the sporting environment. “There have been plenty of instances where I've seen the RUOk? message shine through. Certainly in our Hockeyroos team you often see the girls reaching out and giving support to each other. We operate in a very intense, high pressure environment so it is easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. A simple message after training to make sure someone is ok can really make a difference.”
