Ten Canberra mates come together for week-long fundraiser to honour lost friend

The first week of May was a big one for a group of 10 young men from the Canberra area.

Two ran a triathlon every day for a week, another played tennis for 24 hours straight and three hiked Mount Kosciuszko, heading through a snow cloud.

Three others undertook the David Goggins running challenge, while another spent 12 hours busking in Canberra.

All their efforts were for a good cause.

They were part of Crusade for Connor, an initiative organised in honour of their close friend Connor, who took his life after a battle with schizophrenia in December 2022.

“In terms of activities, we chose things we were passionate about, and that also had a bit of the essence of who Connor was,” said Luke Bradley, one of the participants.

“Connor was really quite a sporty person, he loved music, and he loved nature – and so we wanted to really encapsulate that with the activities.”

Elliot Young, one of the participants who completed a triathlon every day, said very cold temperatures, rain and lack of sleep were among the greatest challenges.

“All the challenges are really mixed with different kinds of difficulties,” he said.

“The endurance that you just had to take on was something I’ve never experienced before and I think it just put us all out of our comfort zones – and we learned a lot about ourselves during the process as well.”

Though all members of Crusade for Connor spent the past few months on physical training, there was an emotional aspect as well.

“This is still a big part of our grieving process,” Luke said.

“We really wanted to try and bring people together and do it in a way that was fun, while still maintaining the memory of Connor and who he was.”

Run from 1-7 May, Crusade for Connor was also organised as a fundraiser for Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) to contribute to research into schizophrenia.

The group started with an initial goal of $10,000, but members had to keep increasing it as their fundraising targets were met.

“We really wanted to try and raise some awareness and raise some funds around schizophrenia and try to educate ourselves and others on what schizophrenia is and also how best to manage it and support people with mental illness,” Luke said.

The group has now raised a tick over $63,000.

“We were just blown away by the amount of support that we’ve been getting,” Elliot said.

“I think with mental illness, a lot of people know someone who is affected or know of someone affected.

“From small businesses to friends and family, and to even people we don’t really know – we’ve just seen an immense amount of support from everyone in our community, which has been really touching.”

Canberra-based business The Dock Kingston also lent its support to Crusade for Connor.

Owner Glen Collins said supporting the group’s efforts was an easy decision.

“Elliot from Crusade for Connor sent me an e-mail and then dropped into the pub in-person to see if The Dock could potentially support them in any shape or manner.

“We got to talking and saw we shared a similar passion for awareness of mental health.”

The Dock Kingston helps facilitate the Running for Resilience running group, which meets three times a week and was addressed by Crusade for Connor.

Elliot said he was proud of how Crusade for Connor had also kickstarted important conversations around mental health and wellness.

“Supporting one another is a huge way to help people with mental illnesses,” he said.

“Our main goal initially was to bring everyone together and to start conversations around it, and that’s certainly something I’m very proud we’ve all done.”

If this story has raised concerns for you, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000. Information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention are available through Beyond Blue.