Mission Nutrition Sponsors Craig Bulloch in support of the Mental Health Charity
Craig is receiving nutritional advice from Jonny Andrews, Mission Nutrition’s sports nutritionist in the lead-up to his races and ultimately completing the 2012 Ironman. Read Craig’s story below and follow his journey, offer support and donate to Craig’s cause through his website http://craigbulloch.co.nz/
Overview from us and then Craig’s story and his picture
A 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and then to finish off, a 42km marathon. Yes, that’s right, I am going to be doing the 2012 NZ Ironman in Taupo. Some have pretty much said I have a screw loose and maybe I do to be taking on this massive challenge but I feel like I am doing it for a great cause. I will be raising money for the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation.
Just a little bit about me to begin with. I am from Hamilton; I guess I should have put that last just in case it stops you from reading! I am 32 and started at AUT last July after the business that I owned went pear shaped and I decided to do something I should have done many years ago and that is study Physiotherapy.
It has been around five years now since I was first diagnosed with depression and through those years there have been ups and downs that have ruined relationships and put strains on friendships. I would lock myself in my room for days on end not wanting to face the outside world. One of the lowest points was when I ruined my Mum’s 60th birthday. To add to things, a friend committed suicide a couple of years ago and I saw firsthand how this affects family and friends. I can say that I have been to that place where I thought there is no point in carrying on and if I am truthful the only reason why I didn’t harm myself was because what I saw his family have to endure the few days after his death.
This brings me now to the present and the reason for me wanting to do an Ironman and raise funds for the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation. It may sound simple but for me it’s all about being active. It was about the same time that John Kirwan came out and said that he had suffered depression and that doing exercise or activity a few days a week made him feel better, that I started to get off the couch to do things. To hear someone that you looked up to as a child say that he suffered from depression took some of the stigma away that can be attached when diagnosed with depression. I know this may sound cheesy and it probably is but those advertisements that JK did have saved my life.
I bought myself some shoes and started to get out running a couple of days a week. I was surprised that after just a couple of days I started to feel different, different in a way that I felt better about myself. I started to look in the mirror and started to like what I saw, not that anything had changed in two days but it was just something inside, that last comment makes me sound vein but when I was at my lowest I would look in the mirror and see a shell of a person looking back at me. I then bought myself a road bike and started riding that three or four times a week. And all the time I was feeling better about myself inside and out. I didn’t have a clue about the science behind it but I just knew that when I trained I felt better and if I didn’t do something for a more than a few days I would start to slide again. I want to spread the word that getting out and doing some form of activity a few days a week can make you start to feel better both inside and out. During this time I also went to a psychologist and found that talking to someone definitely help lift the dark cloud that I had felt was following me around.
I will be raising funds for the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation. One in five New Zealanders will experience mental illness every year. Mental illness not only affects the person diagnosed but family, friends and work colleagues as well. The Mental Health Foundation looks to help as many people it can each year and I want to let people know about the great work that it does. I also feel fundraising for them is the least I can do, because if it weren’t for groups like the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation I don’t know where I would be these days.
Since I am taking on such a big event as the Ironman, I will be doing some smaller but definitely not less significant events as ‘practice’ for the NZ Ironman. These will be-
- Huntly Half Marathon 22nd May
- Wellington Marathon 19th June
- Tough Guy/Girl Challenge 3rd July
- K2 Cycle Challenge 29th Oct
- Karipiro Half Ironman 12th November
- Rotorua Half Ironman December
So as you can see it will be a tough year but it will be extremely rewarding. You can follow me at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/CraigBulloch/ or at www.craigbulloch.co.nz even better, come join me on course and do one of the challenges with me. We all know someone with a mental illness and it will be a great way to show your support. Yes I am fundraising for what I believe to a great cause but I will believe that I have succeeded if I hear that just one person has turned their life around and decided to take on the depression like I did and come out the other side.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
Craig Bulloch