Former Kristin School student and Wairau resident Matt Fenn is about to take on an unbelievable journey to raise money for mental health charity I am Hope and Gumboot Friday. On October 2nd he departs downtown Auckland to run the length of New Zealand – not once, but twice. That’s 4200 kms, or 100 marathons back-to-back over more than 50 days.
After experiencing his own mental health struggles, the 25-year-old has made it his life’s journey to educate and advocate in the mental health space. He speaks on mental health and is also focused on raising money to make a difference. His goal for this ‘Aotearoa Run’ is to raise enough money for I am Hope to provide over 7,000 counselling sessions for Kiwi kids.
Channel Mag’s Aidan Bennett caught up with Matt Fenn in late September just prior to his embarking on his epic fundraiser.
Aidan Bennett: Tell us about your own mental health journey that got you involved in helping others?
Matt Fenn: I left school early to move to the UK to play cricket full time. At first this was the dream for any 16-year-old, but over time, cricket became my entire life. I really struggled with my identity being tied up in what I did rather who I was. Which of course led to absolute burnout by 18. It left me feeling stuck, alone and without any real purpose. This drives my purpose now. Trying to contribute in a way that enables even just one less person to have to feel like I did during that incredibly tough time.
Wow what a challenge! Are you mad or what? What made you decide to take on this challenge?
The initial idea began from the image of reaching the famous Bluff signpost and how funny it would be to arrive after running the length of the country but instead of stopping, turning around, and running home again. That idea has grown into an event that'sall about getting the entire country involved for an important reason.
I understand this is not your first challenge. What else have you done in the past?
Over the years I’ve taken on some big endurance challenges. From running 654km in six days around Auckland Domain, attempting to climb the height of Mt Everest up and down the world’s steepest street, running for 24 hours wearing a 24kg weight vest, and running five 50km ultra-marathons in five days around the North Island.
Where are you starting from and what is the route you will take?
We’ll start in Auckland and head up to Cape Reinga, then turn around and run all the way down to Bluff, and finally, the home stretch back up the country to Auckland again. If you type in the locations on Google maps and click walk, that’s almost exactly the route we’ll be taking.
This is a massive challenge. Running 100 marathons over 50 days. What support crew do you have with you to help you overcome the obvious challenges you will encounter along the way?
I’m lucky enough to have an incredible team of crew and coaches. Gareth Edwards and Carl Read will be with me every step of the way, not only pushing me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, but keeping me fed, hydrated, and most importantly healthy. It’s truly a team event and not possible without some amazing people in my corner.
Why did you choose I am Hope and Gumboot Friday to be the recipients of the funds raised?
Growing up as a kid at school I was constantly bullied for being ‘the fat kid’, something that is unfortunately all too common. My inner self-worth reached rock bottom and it left a mark on me that I still battle with daily and echoes through everything I do. The constant need to prove myself to others and be ‘good enough’. I kept it bottled up and it got worse and worse. I would have given anything to just have someone to talk to, to speak about how I was feeling, and get the support I desperately needed at that age. Gumboot Friday does exactly that – it provides free counselling to anyone under 25 – something the government doesn’t provide. My mission is to play a small part in trying to enable the next generation of kids to have access to this.
When do you expect to finish and where?
If all goes to plan, or somewhere close, we’re expecting the whole journey to take just over 50 days. We’ll be finishing mid-late November in Victoria Park, Auckland. We’ll be keeping everyone up to date via social media every step of the way. You can find us on social media (@themattfenn).
What can our Channel Mag readers do to help?
There are two things incredible readers can do to support, and that’s to donate and share. You can donate to support via our Givealittle page by scanning the QR code below. You can also follow along on socials and share the event with people around you. Your support goes a long way and really adds up. Thank you!
For more SCAN THE QR code or visit:
mattsaotearoarun.com
givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/mattsaotearoarun
instagram.com/themattfenn
facebook.com/themattfenn
linkedin.com/in/matt-fenn
