Mr Healey has been raising money for the Movember Foundation through the month of November in the hope of starting conversations around men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
But unlike most, he isn’t just growing out a moustache for the cause.
On Sunday, he will be attempting to run 100km in a day around Echuca-Moama, with the journey beginning at Next Level Fitness at 3am.
He plans to run a 10km route around the twin towns 10 times, with a goal of completing the massive undertaking in roughly 15 hours.
The route will see him cross Echuca-Moama Bridge, run through Moama and cross the new Dhungala Bridge back into Echuca on to Warren St to the Port of Echuca, through the Echuca Back Nine Golf Course then to Gravity Shack and back to the gym.
Mr Healey recently ran his first marathon, on his 21st birthday, and has only just gotten into running.
But, being a natural athlete, he said he wanted to raise the bar while also supporting a cause he believed in.
“I have always been active, at least in the last five years since I have been going to the gym, but I have never done much running before,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to do a fundraiser, but I have been scared to do one because it is an intimidating thing to set up, so I thought it would be good to put a physical challenge inside of it because that is something I am comfortable with.
“100km isn’t a special number or anything, it is just a good, challenging figure and I thought it would help get some reach out there seeing someone doing something difficult.
“Running 100km with not much preparation is nothing compared to what families go through when loved ones choose to take their life, so I feel like I can suffer 100km if it means raising awareness to what many people go through every day.”
Mr Healey has been well-supported by local businesses and the community, particularly through Next Level fitness where he has raised $4800 of his initial $5000 goal.
He highlighted the importance of supporting Movember and generating a conversation with men about their mental health, and said by him pushing himself, he hoped to inspire someone to speak up.
“I really do support what the Movember Foundation does because they are funding and supporting thousands of research projects in men’s mental health in particular, suicide prevention, testicular cancer and things like that,” he said.
“Raising awareness of men’s mental health in particular is important because most men that I know have trouble speaking up and talking to people around them and having those tough conversations.
“I’m hoping that by stepping out of my comfort zone and starting the dialogue around mental health, I can inspire people to step out of their comfort zone and speak up.”
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