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23 October, 2024
For a good cause: Travis gears up for epic 24-hour challenge
How many times can Travis McElligott go up and down Telstra Hill in 24 hours?
The events of November 2023 are seared into the memory of Travis McElligott.
It was in the early hours of the morning when the Custom Steel Fab owner received word that one of his 100 workers had taken his own life.
What followed was one of the toughest days of Travis’ life.
“We pulled the whole team together at the workshop a few hours later to tell everyone what had happened,” Travis told North West Weekly.
“It is pretty tough to stand in front of everyone and have to say that one of our work mates, one of our best mates, had taken his own life. We shut down the business for four days so people could spend some time with friends and family and process what had happened - it hugely affected the team.
“It was a complete nightmare for us all. I hope I never have to do that again.”
One year on from the tragedy and Travis has teamed up with event co-sponsor Glencore Mount Isa Mines Copper Concentrator, which has also felt the unexpected loss of two workers, to raise funds for the Mount Isa Suicide Prevention Network.
Travis has set himself the mountainous task of dedicating a grueling 24 hours to jogging the 4km track at Mount Isa’s Telstra Hill.
He said running had become his preferred way to clear his mind and destress in recent years and he hoped setting himself the difficult challenge would inspire others to focus on the small things that can make a big difference in maintaining good mental health.
“I am hoping others might come out and run with me for a bit or just walk the track – and we can talk about what’s going on,” he said.
“If we can spark one conversation to help someone through a tough time then I think we’ve done our job. And raising a bit of money at the same time seems like a good idea also.”
Travis will begin the challenge at 7am on Saturday, November 2 and finish at 7am the next morning.
A GoFundMe page for the Mount Isa Suicide Prevention Network has been set up for the event.