By Yvette Peverell
The Country Road Crusaders are a dedicated team of 32 women based in Biggenden, a small rural community in Queensland about 60km northwest of Gympie. The team are committed to raising awareness about the serious challenges regional Australians face in accessing mental health support and have a adopted a unique training routine to adapt to their remote location.
“Between our three teams, we’ve already raised over $17,000 for Beyond Blue, which is a huge achievement for a small country town like ours. All our team members live on large farming properties and usually train solo on their land. Once a month, we get together for a group session - and when we can, we drive two hours to Woodgate Beach for a 15km Sunday training walk to get some experience on the sand,” says team organiser, Jess.
On the way to raising over $17,000 for Beyond Blue.
The Coastrek journey has already had a powerful impact. Team members have reported noticeable improvements in both their physical and mental wellbeing since committing to the Sunshine Coast event.
Living in a rural area, the team knows all too well the reality of limited mental health support. With no psychologists in town and a visiting practitioner only available once a month—with a two-month waitlist—the Beyond Blue Support Service is a critical lifeline.
“For many of the team, the cause is deeply personal. Several members have been directly impacted by suicide in their families and we saw Coastrek as a way to not only boost our own mental health and wellbeing, but also to honour loved ones and give back to a cause that means so much to us,” says Jess.
The Biggenden community has rallied behind the Crusaders, supporting them through local fundraising events and donations, demonstrating the power of community spirit and the importance of mental health advocacy in rural Australia.
Read more from Beyond Blue about the mental health support challenges faced by rural communities HERE.
Training seperately and together!
