On The Up: Plumbing apprentice running 100km in May for mental health

Maggie Higgins is running 100km in May to raise money for Mates4Life.

Wading through some tricky stuff - that’s part of the physical job description of being an apprentice plumber.

But it’s mental health that Maggie Higgins is focusing on raising awareness about at the moment.

The 21-year-old Hawke’s Bay apprentice is fundraising for local mental health charities by putting her body through 100km in a month in honour of a fallen friend.

An apprentice plumber in Hastings for the past four years, when Higgins was in high school she said she struggled with bullying.

In a cruel twist of fate, a man who helped her through some of her challenges died when she was in Year 11.

“None of us really knew about [his struggles] at the time.

“[It] was really hard to not blame it on yourself for not seeing it - as it is for everyone,” Higgins said.

Maggie Higgins is running 100km in May to raise money for Mates4Life.

Now working in the trade industry, Higgins said she loves her job and has finally found her feet.

“I’ve got the most incredible company,” she said.

“I‘ve really found my place here and it’s taken a huge positive impact on my mental health finally having somewhere I feel safe and comfortable.

“I’ve actually got a female boss ... and having that female presence in such a male-dominated industry is so reassuring.”

Now she’s found her place, Higgins wants to help others in the trade industry struggling with mental health by running 100km over May, fundraising for mental health charities Spark That Chat and Mates4Life, a suicide prevention programme delivered to workplaces and organisations in Hawke’s Bay.

Although Higgins considered herself an “alright” runner, she stopped during high school.

Maggie Higgins is running 100km in May to raise money for Mates4Life.

At the time of writing, Higgins had run 60km and had 40km still to go. She is still accepting donations which can be made on the donate section of the Mates4Life website.

“Mates4Life have had a huge impact on me, and they’ve helped me with everything,” she said.

Higgins is sharing her experiences as a running plumber on her social media, where she aims to inspire other women to pick up the tools and join the trade.

“They’ve seen me on social media and thought ‘I’ll ask her is it doable’,” she said.

“I’m always honest because I wished that someone did that for me when I started, by saying ‘Hey, it’s tough, it’s not butterflies and fairy dust’.

“But when you get to houses and people are like ‘oh awesome, a chick’, and it brightens up your day. It’s the best thing you can hear.”

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Aoake te Rā – Free, brief therapeutic support service for those bereaved by suicide. Call 0800 000 053.
• • Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.