Running for resilience: public pound pavement for mental health

The mostly-young members of the southside community have met at The Dock on a Wednesday at 6pm for more than a year now.

The crowd - originally 20 people, now up to 120 - are there for a three-kilometre jog to Kings Bridge and then a three-kilometre jog back to the bar.

Organiser Matt Breen started the run to spread the mantra he developed after the sudden death of his father: just keep moving.

A navy veteran who served in Iraq, Mr Breen's dad died by suicide in 2010.

In the aftermath, Mr Breen said exercise was an important box to tick to help move past the trauma, even when all the boxes found like insurmountable challengers.

By just keeping going, Mr Breen said he was able to manage the pain of suddenly losing a parent fairly well for the first nine years.

Then his mum was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and the trauma resurfaced.

When she died earlier this year, Run for Resilience was already well established, providing a group of new mates to help keep the mantra up.

"Just keep moving," he said.

"It stemmed from a desire to spread the message that helped me in my struggles but also a message I hope others can take strength from in their struggles.

"I think it's a message that resonates with people.

"If you hang in there, do the things that should make you feel better, talk to your friends, exercise, accomplish tasks, you will feel better."

The Dock has supported the group from the start, putting up the first round of beers on a Wednesday night and using their social media channels to create awareness.

Part-owner Ben Alexander said as an avid parkrunner he was keen to get on board.

The former Wallabies and Brumbies player said for him social connectedness and sport were intrinsically tied.

"That's the hardest thing about retiring from sport, you're no longer paid to train with your mates all day," he said.

Mr Alexander said when retirement meant no more sport on Saturdays, parkrun became an initial important replacement.

While he was tapering off this week ahead of a boxing match against Terry Campese, Mr Alexander now counts Wednesday night lake runs alongside the 102 parkruns under his belt.

"Rain, hail or shine, Running for Resilience is on," he said. "We've run in smoke, run in hail.

"You don't need to book it into your calendar and you don't need to text anyone, everyone just knows we're on."

In addition to the Wednesday jog, a smaller crowd meets at 6.15am on a Friday morning for the loop and a coffee afterwards.

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Like Friday night, it's an open invite. No cost, no booking required.

"Come one, come all," Mr Alexander said. "You can walk, you can run, you can run fast, it doesn't matter."

"The running is something you just get out of the way, it's really just an excuse to catch up with friends."

Mr Alexander said the more Mr Breen shares his story the more it's message is getting across.

"I've never met a person I want to succeed more than Matt," he said.

"I haven't known him that long but I am now very grateful to call him a friend."

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