Walk It Off, a mental health and fitness support group for people who need a place to connect with others and share in an accessible, casual, non-judgemental setting, has begun at The Haven, in Terrigal.

Every Wednesday from 5:30pm, the community is encouraged to meet at The Trojan’s Clubhouse in Terrigal to get involved.

From here, the group walks from The Haven to Wamberal and back, all the while supporting each other through conversation.

Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid MP, joined with the Walk It Off community in Terrigal to support the group.

“Walk It Off is an extraordinary organisation with success in regional areas like the Blue Mountains, now it has come to the Central Coast to support our community”, Dr Reid said.

“As an emergency doctor, promoting mental health awareness is a priority, and Walk It Off provides an excellent platform for people in need of support”.

“Not only does Walk It Off support mental health through a non-judgemental setting, but those who get involved are becoming physically active, which is so important for overall health”, Dr Reid said.

“Walk It Off has my support and I look forward to helping support the organisation develop in our region”.

Founder of Walk It Off, Mr Phillip Dixon, says it is all about helping support men navigate life.

“Walk It Off is a grass roots, community-based men's mental health support initiative that promotes awareness and provides a platform for men to share openly about the positive and challenging circumstances of their lives”, Mr Dixon said.

“Back in 2020 I was suffering with my mental health and reaching out for help. I couldn't see a way forward and experiencing immense pressure, I was on the edge of taking my life”.

“It became apparent shortly after navigating the minefield of my crisis that there were limited face-to-face services available. The process to get urgent help simply wasn't there”, Mr Dixon said.

“Confusing recommendations and dead ends became my reality. What I needed was somewhere I could go for support that was informal, consistent, accessible, and most importantly, with men who had lived experience”.

“Fast forward 2 years and in 2022, a work colleague of mine, who was facing similar adversities to what I had experienced, parked his car in the Blue Mountains National Park, went into the bush alone and has never been found”, Mr Dixon said.

“Sam's disappearance, among my own personal experience, launched me into action. Shortly after Sam's disappearance, Walk It Off was founded by a group of men from the Blue Mountains”.

“We felt deeply passionate about creating a space where men could connect in our local area, and it was agreed what better way to get through life's ups and downs than to walk and talk with a mate!”, Mr Dixon said.

Mr Dixon would like to see Walk It Off grow across Australia.

“Walk It Off has two locations - Springwood and Terrigal. Both walks start at the same time on the same day - Wednesdays 6:00pm. Our vision is to see as many Walk It Off's helping communities right around the country”, Mr Dixon said.

“For anyone interested attending one of the walks you can simply show up at Terrigal Trojans from 5:30pm. We go on a short 3.5km walk that takes about 45 minutes. The only requirement for participation is the desire to make a positive difference to your own mental health and others around you”.

For further information please visit - www.walkitoff.org.au.

ENDS