From left: Michael Lowe, Zoe Farmer, Craig Farrar, Te Ahu Witana-King, Suz Bismark, Mark Doohan, Toby Officer, Jeremy Poynter, Chris Whitworth, Cha Ruka, Jess Earnshaw, Rose Battersby, Tull Colman (absent: Aeron Mellish).
From left: Michael Lowe, Zoe Farmer, Craig Farrar, Te Ahu Witana-King, Suz Bismark, Mark Doohan, Toby Officer, Jeremy Poynter, Chris Whitworth, Cha Ruka, Jess Earnshaw, Rose Battersby, Tull Colman (absent: Aeron Mellish).
In his 16 years as a policeman, sergeant Toby Officer has been called out to more suicides and suicide attempts than he can count.
To get New Zealand’s youth extra support, he has united Taupō Police, Fire and Emergency, Hato Hone St John and Greenlea RescueHelicopter for a special fundraising challenge for the I Am Hope youth mental health charity.
In November, a team of 14 first responders will attempt to walk the circumference of Lake Taupō – 160km – within 40 hours.
Officer said the challenge had been the result of what he and his colleagues have observed, especially with youth and their need for support.
Officer started his career with the police in Wellington before moving to Taupō.
Chris Whitworth, Cha Ruka and Toby Officer from Taupō Police will walk the circumference of Lake Taupō to raise funds for I am Hope.
Officer said early intervention and counselling services were important.
“What [I Am Hope’s] Mike King does is huge for youth.
“[The fundraiser is] another way of helping to raise awareness and, through I am Hope, providing an avenue for [youth] to seek help.”
The team of 14 will attempt to walk the entire circumference of Lake Taupō – 160km – in 40 hours. Photo / Laurilee McMichael
The challenge had been 12 months in the planning.
“It was extremely easy to get other people on board.
“Originally, I was just going to do it by myself, but as soon as I told a colleague ‘I want to raise money for I am Hope’, he said ‘I don’t care what it is, count me in’. And from there it sort of developed a life of its own.”
Jess Earnshaw, Tull Coleman and Rose Battersby are part of the St John crew who will join Taupō Police in their journey for I am Hope.
Soon, fellow police officers Cha Ruka, Jeremy Poynter and Christopher Whitworth, firefighters Craig Farrar, Te Ahu Witana-King, Suz Bismark and Mark Doohan, paramedics Jess Earnshaw, Rose Battersby and Tull Coleman, and Aeron Mellish, Zoe Farmer and Michael Lowe from Greenlea Rescue Helicopter joined in on the mission.
On November 8, the crew will embark on their journey, leaving from the Taupō Fire station at 4pm, heading anticlockwise around Lake Taupō.
Suz Bismark, Paul Wilson, Mark Doohan, Craig Farrar, Michael Officer from the Fire & Emergency crew.
The walk will be continuous, with participants stopping only briefly to rest and eat, returning to finish at the Taupō Fire station around lunchtime on Sunday, November 10.
Officer said Lake Taupō was significant for the team.
“The path goes right through the area that we deal with every day.”
Aeron Mellish, Michael Lowe and Zoe Farmer from Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.
“It’s a tough challenge to complete in 40 hours, we will be sleep deprived, so the mental side of it will be huge – quite fitting, given that it’s for a fundraiser for a mental health charity.”
He said the team was “positive and excited” about the mission.
“Most of us have been training since the start of the year. But there is also a little bit of apprehension because it’s quite a big walk.”
Officer said his family had been very supportive, although his wife was initially taken aback when he told her about it.
He had been preparing for the challenge switching from his usual running regime to walking, starting at 10km and slowly scaling up to 30km, plus strength training at the gym.
