Fundraiser in Memory of Glenn Mitchell

My name is Zach Anderson, and I was raised in Vernon, BC, Canada, but I am currently living in Perth, Australia, since February 2020. About a month ago I was inspired by David Goggins (a retired Navy Seal, current ultra-runner, and motivational speaker) to embark on a mental and physical challenge he calls the 4x4x48. This entails running 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours; for a total of 48 mi (77.25 km) in 2 days. < You can follow the challenge through my instagram @zach_seekingawe >

While ultimately, I was motivated enough to attempt this challenge strictly for improving my own mental strength, I recognized sharing it would be a valuable opportunity to not only inspire others to face challenges in their life but also raise money for a charity.

After having a powerful deep conversation with one of my best friends Justin Mitchell, the direction I wanted to go with this challenge and fundraiser became instantly clear. Justin's father, Glenn Mitchell, recently lost a long battle to depression on December 17, 2020. Glenn was an amazing husband, father, friend, and member of the Vernon community. As former managing editor of the local newspaper (The Morning Star) and former hockey coach, Glenn was well known and loved within the community. He was known for his kind-hearted nature towards everyone he met. I particularly remember every time I visited Justin's house when we were younger, he would show a keen interest in how things were going with me. Often I'd spend 5-10 minutes chatting with him before Jup and I would hangout. Recently I discovered he was known for these sort of chats with friends and acquaintances he'd see in public, and those who know him well will attest to the high frequency at which this would occur. Glenn was a beautiful soul, who brought so much joy to the world through his writings and his deep empathetic connection with everyone he met. Glenn, unfortunately, became sick with depression, and ultimately succumbed to it.

I chose the charity #SickNotWeak because I believe it is important to bring awareness to this fact of depression - it is an illness and not a sign someone is weak or simply ungrateful for what they have in life. In addition to this, I would like encourage everyone to view the health of their mind much like the health of their body. Sometimes you may get sick, and more immediate specific medical help is needed, but those of us who are not sick have the capacity to improve the health of our body and MIND - which in turn will give you more capacity to help those who are sick. This is why I willingly embark on crazy challenges, with the intent of improving my grit - improving my mental capacity to face uncomfortable situations which promotes my growth and ultimately improves my capacity to love. This is why I am so passionate about mindfulness meditation and various other mental and spiritual practices.

Justin and I decided to have a conversation about all of the topics mentioned above. So please do give it a listen or watch. And of course, if you do have money to spare it would be greatly appreciated if you donate! Raising awareness on this topic is extremely valuable and may even save someone's life; someone whom perhaps thought they were simply weak, when in reality they are just sick and need to seek help.

Thank you!

Challenge timeline...
Monday 8:00PM - Wednesday 8PM PST (British Columbia); Tuesday 12:00pm - Thursday 12:00pm (Western Australia, AWST)

Run times (AWST): Tuesday 12:00, 16:00, 20:00, 24:00;
                                            Wednesday 04:00, 08:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00, 24:00;
                                            Thursday 04:00, 08:00, 12:00

I'll be posting regular stories during the challenge  so if you want to follow along on the challenge check out my IG https://www.instagram.com/zach_seekingawe/ 
OR Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Zachary-Anderson-2130677113681649