191 Shoes That Will Never Be Filled

At the dawn of Movember, I woke up to confront an issue that has long affected me, the other co-founders of Movember, friends and family…suicide. Standing on the shores of Bondi beach at sunrise, I looked out and saw a familiar scene, men enjoying the surf much like I would have. But this time I could only imagine the 191 boys and men who would not wake up to see another sunrise, as we laid out 191 pairs of shoes on our most iconic beach to represent the number of boys and men who take their lives each month across Australia. 

Across the world, one man takes his life every minute, most of them having suffered in silence. This is a growing epidemic that we can’t ignore, we’re taking a stand to start the conversation now this Movember and beyond. This is why we Mo.

I have talked to men who were fortunate enough to have survived and they all highlighted how “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem”. Their words really affected me. How can we live in a society where this could be accepted as an option to end pain? There is always someone who you can speak to before things spiral out of control. The first step is being brave enough to have that conversation. 

Movember gives you the chance to go out and tell those you know that you’re open to these conversations and that you're there for them. Movember is also a great time to lead by example and share what you might be going through.

This Movember make a commitment to have a conversation that matters.

www.movember.com