Daylan Waetford fights for life

Daylan Waetford fights for life

Daylan Waetford fights for life teaser

07 Sep 2017

Fitness coach Daylan Waetford will step into the boxing ring on Saturday 9 September, to complete 50 rounds of sparring to raise awareness of the prevalence of mental health issues and the importance of suicide prevention in Western Australia.

Raising funds for Lifeline WA, Mr Waetford also hopes to encourage more men to call the 13 11 14 crisis support line by holding an open day at boxing gym, the Hurt Locker, in Claremont. Each round will be two minutes long, with one minute breaks in between, and fifty people have already committed their name to each of the rounds, including Nat Medhurst, West Coast Fever player, Miss West Coast, Daisy Jeanes and Michael Thompson, WA State Title Champion.

Mr Waetford, a father of five sons, said he was concerned about the tragic rate of male suicide and wanted a future where people could talk about suicidal thoughts openly. Once a professional rugby player in his native New Zealand, Mr Waetford also espoused the benefits of good physical health on positive mental health.
“I’ve been a fitness coach for 15 years and my goal has always been to help my clients create a better life for themselves,” he said.

“Life has many ups and downs and I want my sons, and men in this country to recognise when they need help and to most importantly reach out to get that help,” he said.

“Exercise is important on many levels – research has shown that it has a positive impact on mental health, provides a connection with other people and you get that endorphin rush from strengthening your body.”

Lifeline WA receives 55,000 calls per year from Western Australians in crisis, with suicide being the leading cause of death for Western Australian men between the ages of 15 and 44.

Lifeline WA CEO Lorna MacGregor thanked Mr Waetford for supporting Lifeline WA.
“Daylan’s goal to work through fifty rounds of boxing is inspiring, not only for the sheer physical nature of the event, but also because of his determination to positively influence  the community to reach out for support when they need it most,” said Ms MacGregor.

“We are grateful for his initiative to raise funds for Lifeline WA so that we can train more crisis supporters to answer more calls for help,” Ms MacGregor said.

For crisis or suicide prevention support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit http://crisischat.lifelinewa.org.au
 

Back To News Stories

Join our mailing list