To Cairns and Back for Mental Health Awareness

Cloe Gerhart and her daughter. Photos supplied: Cloe Gerhart

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After finding comfort in running during a difficult chapter of her life, Chloe Gerhart is preparing to cover 1,200 kilometres in 20 days next June, raising funds for Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network and encouraging conversations that could help others reach out for support.

The mum plans to run around 60 kilometres a day in her journey from Bowen to Cairns and back to Airlie Beach, with her daughter joining the support crew along the way. Her challenge, Chloe’s Miles for Minds, is as much about raising awareness as it is reaching the finish line.

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“I just wanted to do something that was sort of pretty big and extraordinary that would get people talking,” Chloe said.

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“I think it all sort of starts with conversations.”

Chloe only took up running in 2023, after having her daughter and going through a difficult time involving someone close to her. What had once been a sport she didn’t particularly enjoy became something she looked forward to.

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“When I started running back in 2023, it really helped me mentally with a lot of things,” she said.

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After losing someone close to her, Chloe wanted to use running to support others, starting with no set distance in mind but a determination to make people stop and ask why.

“I thought maybe that’s something that I could do, I’d go for a run,” she said.

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“Hopefully people sort of look at me and go, ‘What is she doing? Why is she running so far?’ and get conversations happening.”

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With now 7 months to prepare, Chloe is working out where she will stop along the route and organising the support needed to keep going for 20 days.

A physiotherapist will accompany her each day, while community members have already offered to join sections of the run. Her daughter will also be along for the journey, giving Chloe another reason to push through difficult days.

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“I think just having her there and her being able to watch me do something so incredible will keep me going,” she said.

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The fundraiser will support the Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network, helping its work with local families and community events that encourage people to seek support.

“All the money raised will go to them,” Chloe said.

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A community celebration is planned for the finish on 26th June, with the network hosting a tent where people can stop for a chat and find support.

Until then, Chloe is inviting others to join her for any stretch of the journey, whether it’s 100 metres or a kilometre. Updates will be shared through her Facebook page, Chloe’s Miles for Minds – Break the Silence.

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“I really encourage people to get involved just any way they can,” she said.  

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