RAAF Base Pearce personnel have gone the distance for mental health, raising $7400 in 48 hours for the Black Dog Institute during the inaugural Goggins' Challenge.
Thirteen members from 79 Squadron, 2 Flying Training School, 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron and 25 Squadron at the base in Western Australia took part in the late October fundraising event.
Goggins' Challenge involves running, rowing or skiing 6km every four hours for 48 hours - totalling 72km.
It is a significant test of mental and physical endurance, complicated by sleep deprivation and the need for consistent fuelling and hydration between runs.
Physical training instructors (PTIs) Sergeant Joshua Mulligan and Corporal Lewis Campbell organised this challenge for the first time this year.
"We feel that it's good for Defence members to do 'hard things'," Sergeant Mulligan said.
"If you go to a dark place physically and mentally and come out the other side - those are the building blocks of true physical and mental resilience."
Corporal Campbell elaborated on the reasons behind taking up the challenge.
"We are very passionate about looking after the mental health of our people and we saw this challenge as a great opportunity to raise much-needed money for research into mental health and suicide prevention, hence we chose the Black Dog Institute as our elected charity," Corporal Campbell said.
The Black Dog Institute is an independent Australian not-for-profit, internationally recognised for mental health research.
It is the only medical research institute in Australia that investigates mental health across the lifespan - from childhood to adulthood.
The institute focuses on better treatments, better programs and a better understanding of mental health, with the aim of making a real-world positive impact.
Every four hours over the 48-hour challenge, the participating members either ran, rowed or skied 6km at a time, improving their physical and mental resilience while raising money.
The PTIs are planning to take up the challenge again next year, making this successful fundraiser an annual event.
The challenge was named after the American ex-Navy SEAL David Goggins - an endurance athlete, author and Guinness World Record holder for the most pull-ups in a 24-hour period.
