Tackling rural depression, one step at a time

Caption: Case IH Australia’s Brand Leader, Bruce Healy, is taking part in the New York City Marathon this year both as a personal fitness challenge, and to raise money for beyondblue.

Bruce Healy, Case IH Brand Leader, is fully committed to the company’s partnership with mental health organisation beyondblue. In fact, he’staking this responsibility 126,000 steps further by walking the New York City Marathon this November, and he hopes to raise $5,000 for beyondbluethrough hisefforts.

Case IH has teamed up with beyondblueto raise awareness of depression and anxiety in farming communities, and the agricultural machinery company has pledged to donate at least $100,000 a year to the charity.

“At first, it was a personal fitness challenge for me. I was overweight. I wanted to lose a few kilos and improve my health, so I set a pretty big goal to get me motivated.” says Bruce.

“But after talking with our dealers and customers out there in the field, I realised just how important beyondblue’s work is to rural and remote communities. Just about everyone working in agriculture knows someone dealing with depression or anxiety. SoI’m dedicating my marathon to the charity.

Studies show farming communities in Australia experience mental health issues at twice the rate of the general population – with financial pressure, social isolation and long hours just some of the causes of stress and depression.

“Farming is a tough business and while Australian farmers are known for their resilience, this doesn’t mean that people don’t feel the impact of a string of bad seasons, or even the stresses of everyday life,” Bruce said.

Bruce has proven his own resilience, having already shed almost 20kg and fitting in at least a 20km walk most weekends. With just six months to go, he has now registered for his first marathon.
To help Bruce raise funds for beyondblue, visit https://give.everydayhero.com/au/bruce-healy or find Case IH Australia on Facebook and follow the link.
Emily Bowman