Nova Scotian woman plans to celebrate birthday by biking 104 km for mental health

Apr 8, 2022

Halifax/Kjipuktuk – A Nova Scotian woman is planning to celebrate her 33rd birthday by raising funds and awareness for mental health — a cause she says is near and dear to her.

On June 12, Breagh MacDonald will cycle 104 kilometers in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division (CMHA NS). She’s calling it ‘Breagh’s 100 km for Mental Health.’

Her goal is to raise $3,000 in support of CMHA’s programing and education.

The Canadian Mental Health Association is a charitable not-for-profit organization that delivers a wide range of services and support for all people living with mental illness and those experiencing mental health challenges across the province, including: Project H.O.P.E., At-Work, THRIVE Learning Centre for Mental Health and Well-Being,Communities Addressing Suicide Together (CAST), Bounceback and Peer Support.

MacDonald, 32, says she believes mental health should be approached with the same level of care and compassion that physical health is, and is proud to support CMHA NS.

Karn Nichols, executive director of Canadian Mental Health Association, Nova Scotia Division says MacDonald, and those who fundraise on behalf of CMHA NS, are the “heart and soul” of CMHA NS.

“People who fundraise for CMHA NS truly make a difference,” Nichols explains.

“Donations have a direct impact on our ability to expand and deliver our programming and that’s very powerful to me. We believe that mental health care for all Nova Scotians should be a universal human right. By helping us keep our programming free to access, our fundraisers and supports bring us closer to making that a reality for more Nova Scotians.”

“Mental Health affects many people, and it affects people differently,” Macdonald says, adding that stigma, often prevents people from getting the care they need, which can make problems worse.

“[For example], I started having bad anxiety in the summer of 2014 and it was made worse by some big losses that I struggled with COVID-19 and all the other issues happening around the world brought me to the point that I knew I needed help dealing with it. I was extremely grateful to have such strong supports in my work and personal life, but not everyone is so lucky. That’s not good enough and we need to do better.”

Donations to CMHA NS enable CMHA’s staff to deliver free programming and education initiatives that support the resilience, recovery and well-being of people living with mental illness and those experiencing mental health challenges across the province. For more information on CMHA NS programing, visit www.novascotia.cmha.ca

To support Breagh’s 100 km for Mental Health, visit www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/100km-for-mental-health/

To learn more about how you can support CMHA NS, contact: Erin Christie, Provincial Lead, Communications and Community Engagement, CMHA NS at [email protected]

** If you’re inspired by Breagh’s story and want to support CMHA NS by creating your own personal fitness challenge, consider joining Ride Don’t Hide. Ride Don’t Hide is a virtual, self-guided event. The cyclists cycle and the walkers walk. The runners run and the spinners spin. You can ride, walk, run, dance or do yoga – whatever you do to move for your mental health and support mental health programming and education while you do it! It’s free to register and open to anyone living in the province, so no one gets left out or left behind. Learn more here. **