SGEES Master graduate Rory Hart to walk the whole of NZ!
Rory Hart, SGEES Master Graduate, does the hard yards to promote health & wellbeing and raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation.
On the 1st of November, Rory Hart, a recent graduate from ARC is undertaking his biggest challenge to date. Starting at the top of the North Island (Cape Reinga) he is going to walk the length of the entire country (3000 km) to raise awareness for mental health and physical well-being.
Here is his story ‘GetUp NZ’ is an initiative to promote health & well-being for young New Zealanders. In an age where social media is at an all-time high, I feel that our generation is being subjected to a lot of pressure to perform well.
The social media platforms that we have grown up on tend to only emphasize the best in everyone, while negative impacts on lifestyle are generally ignored. Our generation is being exposed to this biased 'positive window' which appears to have negative effects on well-being and self-confidence of young people.
I want to encourage independence from social media in conjunction with an active and healthy lifestyle. I am going to promote health and well-being for young New Zealanders by attempting to walk the length of New Zealand, self-supported. I feel that even the simple act of walking in nature can change one's perspective on goal setting and mental health issues, as well as the obvious advantage of getting fit with a lungful of fresh air.
My journey will begin on 1st November 2014 and extend over a period of approximately 4 months. This is the average period of time allocated to the walk although some like to do it more leisurely (6-8 months) while others have been known to accomplish the walk in under 2 months. I will incorporate the east coast axial ranges (Kawekas, Ruahines and Tararuas) in the north instead of taking the more direct route through Manawatu.
If you would like to follow my journey further please visit my blog: https://getupnz.com or if you would like to make a donation to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ: https://give.everydayhero.com/nz/rory-1
Thanks in advance for reading, donating and supporting this cause. By the time you all read this I will be walking along the sandy beaches of Northland. And I can assure you that my mental health will be at an all time high! Hope to see some of you on the trails!
Cheers, Rory.