Julia

One Foot Forward participant Julia grew up in an Australian country town with older parents and a big family, an environment where she says, ‘mental health or anxiety weren't things that were ever spoken about, it wasn’t even on the radar…and I didn’t realise until I was much older that those feelings that I felt as a young child weren’t just nerves and that I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.’

Julia, a self-described extravert who loves to keep life as fun, spontaneous and stress free as possible, has been walking to raise funds for crucial mental health research and services since 2021. 

“In 2021 we had quite a few youth suicides within our local area, and although I didn’t know them personally, I still wanted to be able to do something in my own quiet way to bring focus and awareness onto mental health and I stumbled across One Foot Forward. 

At first I was doing it for those amazing kids, but then I realized that I also needed to do it for myself.

It plays a HUGE part in my wellbeing and mental health journey. I love just focusing on the sounds as I walk, the birds and wildlife that I see along the way. Seeing the same people on their morning walk each morning and feeling more a part of my own community more than I do any other time of the year, because I am out in it, for hours and hours each and every day…not on my device, not inside at work, not keeping space for things that don’t serve me, but really just being mindful, aware and present in that moment of each and every walk! I literally wait for October to come around every year…my mind and body thrive on it.”

While One Foot Forward helps Julia manage her anxiety and wellbeing, she’s also proud of the impact that it’s helping create for people experiencing mental illness across Australia.

“What I have realized over the years of participating is that through talking about it and reducing the stigma and silence around mental health, we also reduce its power to take over and we can let others know that ‘it’s okay not to be okay, you aren’t the only one and that there are organisations you can go to for support and education. Together we will get through.’ 

It surprises me every year how many people say to me when I start to talk about my struggles that “they would never imagine that I would struggle with mental health, because I’m so happy and I don’t look like I would struggle with that sort of thing” …but mental health doesn’t discriminate and we all have it, it's just where on the continuum that we are individually sitting at that point in time. Having resources, training and education available to everyone is absolutely life changing!”

This year, Julia will be walking an incredible 600KM- including a mammoth 24 hour walk.

"This year I am going to do a 24hr walk again…I think my feet have forgotten how painful it was last year! It is actually a super fun and exciting thing to do, to listen, watch and be a part of the environment in the middle of the night when no one else is there …and funny to think about what people must think during the day when they keep seeing me walking the same path for hours and hours on end. Sometimes it gets hard…but then someone waves or toots their horn or comes and walks with me…and it makes me remember the why."

And the why, for Julia, is about that solidarity, showing people who experience mental illness that they aren’t alone and rallying with the One Foot Forward community each year.

"The One Foot Forward community means oh so much to me! I feel like it is a safe space for everyone to be themselves and for everyone to be there for each other, and solidarity plays a huge part in my everyday life. I never want anyone to feel alone or as if they don’t have anyone who they can relate to.

Knowing that I am doing this for something bigger than me is what keeps me moving forward. I want everyone to feel like they can also step out on that pavement and know that we are all there for each other, even if we aren’t physically together.

If I could say one thing to somebody considering joining One Foot Forward, it would be: do it!!! Your body is stronger than you think and being out in the outdoors and moving your body will do wonders for your mental health! We will all have your back, and we will do it together, one step at a time."