Breaking the silence on mental health

Western Australian sheep shearer turned mental health advocate Lenny Deacon has been pedalling his way around Australia for almost nine months, on a mission to break the silence around mental health and raise $1M for research.

On Sunday, August 24, he and his loyal dog Lucky joined the community at North Entrance Surf Club for an afternoon of live music, raffles, auctions and family activities, all in support of his national campaign Doin’ It for Dippa.

Deacon, who left Bunbury in November last year, has now ridden almost 7,000km, crossing the Nullarbor Plain and visiting Kangaroo Island, Tasmania and Canberra before reaching the Central Coast.

He has spent the past few weeks in the region, speaking at high schools and chatting with locals about the challenges so many face in silence.

“The locals here have been amazing,” he said.

“I’ve had so many conversations where people quietly say they’ve been struggling, and that’s what this ride is really about.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the people I meet.

“Just getting them to open up, to know they’re not alone, that’s the important thing.”

Deacon said the name of the ride – YANAR; You Are Not Alone – summed up its message perfectly.

“You’re not alone; there’s always someone who cares and who’s willing to just sit with you, listen, or go for a walk,” he said.

“It doesn’t even have to be a deep conversation.

“That human interaction is massive.”

The loss of his best mate Dippa Wheaton, who took his own life at the age of 43, was the driving force behind Deacon’s campaign.

“I’ve lost a few mates to suicide, lost an uncle, and I’ve had my own struggles,” he said.

“About four-and-a-half years ago when we lost Dippa, we did a fundraiser shearing sheep for 24 hours and raised $45,000 for the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation.

“I can’t shear anymore, but I can ride a bike, so I came up with this mad idea to ride around Australia and here we are.”

Since the ride started, Deacon has raised more than $21,000, adding to the earlier $45,000.

But while the money is important, he says the conversations he has on the road are what matter most.

“You can’t put a timeline on mental health,” he said.

“I can’t sit with someone who’s telling me what they’re going through and say, sorry mate, I need to be in Newcastle by seven o’clock.

“It doesn’t work like that; every single chat is worth it.”

Deacon said many of the stories he’d heard on the Central Coast echoed those from other parts of the country.

“People put on a brave face, they say ‘yeah I’m good, I’m fine,’ but when you ask again, when you take the time, that’s when they’ll tell you the truth,” he said.

“I think that’s something we can all do – check on your mates and lean on your mates – it’s a two-way street.”

Deacon wants to challenge the old culture that discourages men from speaking up.

“That old adage of toughen up or cowboys don’t cry – it doesn’t work, it’s not working, and you can see the results,” he said.

“We’ve got to break that stigma – it’s not weak to speak.

“Everyone has dark times, everyone has their moments, and it’s okay to say you’re not okay.”

Deacon’s visit to Canberra earlier in the ride included a meeting with Federal Health Minister Mark Butler to advocate for stronger national reform.

“Getting that message in front of government was important,” he said.

“Mental illness is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and we need action.”

Deacon’s message is clear: don’t underestimate the power of conversation.

“Even just sitting with someone and not talking can mean the world,” he said.

“You don’t have to have the answers, but just being there can change everything.”

Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation CEO John Mannion said Deacon was helping to break the silence around mental health in the regions, giving others permission to speak and seek help.

Skaie Hull