The walk may have started in Nanaimo Tuesday and ended in Esquimalt Wednesday morning, but Ryan Thirlwall's journey began over a decade ago.
The 31-year-old Victoria man endured a gruelling 29-hour walk to raise awareness for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Victoria and youth mental health. It is a walk that Thirlwall undertakes as a labour of love.
"It was agonizing this time around but I am totally relieved because it is worth it," said Thirlwall. "I can tell you I raised a heck of a lot of awareness."
Thirlwall's message has reached young people on Vancouver Island and across Canada. He has also spread the word to the U.S., U.K., Australia, and even to Europe.
His message is a simple one: make people aware of the services available through the Boys and Girls club to young people who may be struggling with mental health issues.
They're services Thirlwall himself accessed 16 years ago when he lived on the streets and was suffering from substance abuse and issues with mental health.
"The Boys and Girls club gave me the support that I needed to get back on the right track and turn my life around," Thirlwall said. "Sometimes you need to make personal sacrifices to make the biggest wave."
His walk is a metaphor because it can seem never-ending, just as coping with issues with mental health can feel never-ending for young people.
It is why he makes his trek wearing a pink tutu and leggings. It is a true representation of people battling with mental health and offers hope at the end of the tunnel.
"If someone told me that I would be here 16 years later walking for the Boys and Girls club 3 times in the past 7 years I would have never believed it,"
Thirwall wants to inspire others to be the change he wants to see in the world. He urges young people to never classify their mental health as a weakness, but to make the most out of life and shine.
