By PEACE IJIYERA
WHAT’S better than running solo?
Running together.
On a Thursday morning at 5.30am, you can catch Jason Rantall and a group of enthusiastic runners pacing through the streets of Trafalgar.
This run group starts Bettermentall’s weekly ‘Have a Chat’ Thursdays.
Bettermentall is a mental health wellbeing charity that provides support for people in the community.
Bettermentall has been in operation since 2017 and recently become registered as a charity.
Together with his wife Kerry Rantall, Mr Rantall works to provide a safe space for people to come and receive mental health support through activities, mentoring, counselling, and even through just having a chat. Promoting positive mental health is important to Mr Rantall, who has been on quite a journey himself.
“I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, OCD, psychosis, anxiety, depression, all those things and used alcohol from the age of 14 to try and get peace from those thoughts and feelings that I was going through as a youngster … [I was a] chain-smoker, alcoholic, very unwell, physically, mentally,” he said.
“At the age of 44 [I] decided to make some changes through my wife saying she’d had enough and couldn’t deal with the way life was and the way I was, and things had to change. So I made changes, and the first change I did was I decided to stop smoking and start running the very next day.”
For Mr Rantall, running has been “the catalyst to a great deal of changes.”
“I started running and it became something after I practiced it for a long period of time … something that I liked,” he said.
“Over time it became part of what I do, through running I’ve changed a lot of things.”
Over the years, Mr Rantall has participated in run challenges, raising money and spreading awareness about mental health.
Last year, he took part in running 801km in 10 days, and has plans to complete more run challenges in the future.
With his new found way of life, Mr Rantall knew it would be remiss of him not to share the light; he wanted to give back.
“I like giving hope to others to show them what’s possible and what we can achieve and change,” he said.
“I found that two of the biggest changes for me looking back [was] that connection with people and movement.
“Our run club is not just a run club, its for people to come along, move your body, be around people. We run five ks or 10 … we’re hoping to get some walkers involved so they have their own little group … then we have coffee and chat afterwards at our hub in Trafalgar, just to create that belonging for people and get people up and moving.”
Mr Rantall spoke about the importance of connection and movement.
“As soon as you’re feeling something that doesn’t feel good, don’t sit in there and let your mind get lost in it, get up and move yourself out of that and go and connect with others,” he urged.
“When I talk about movement, people look at me and think about the 100s of ks and the crazy endurance running I do now, but you don’t have to do that. Movement is just getting out of the space you’re in, sitting on the couch or wherever you are, and actually moving even if its just out the front door [to] smell the roses and look at the sky and not be stuck, isolated in your room and then move on from there … it doesn’t have to be anything major, just move your body. Get moving.”
For Mr Rantall, it is important to create services like this for people as he didn’t have it when he was on his journey.
“I was born in the 70s, you didn’t talk about this stuff and being a male, you definitely didn’t talk about it … I had no one, I was told not to and that’s the way I lived.
“I didn’t have it and I know the difference it would’ve made if I had had someone there showing me the way.”
The run club meets at 5.30am at Bettermentall HQ (36 Contingent Street Trafalgar).
The run club is open for everyone and dogs and bikes are most welcome.
From 10am to 12pm is the ‘have a chat’ community barbecue where everyone in the community is invited to indulge in some egg and bacon, play games, or simply, have a chat.
Mr Rantall encourages people to understand the power that is in talking and connecting with others.
“Get out there and talk to others because other people can give you a different perception on what’s going on. If you’re lost in your own, you know what you know and you just keep going around in circles, but when you share … we can start to get different ideas and see from different perceptions,” he said.
As part of Bettermentall’s ‘have a chat’ Thursdays, breathwork and meditation sessions are also available from 12pm to 12.30pm, after which, Bettermentall takes the fun out to the community, hosting its ‘have a chat’ outreach service weekly at Apex Park Moe and fortnightly at Warragul’s Eastern Park.
At the parks, they host a community barbecue and give out clothes, blankets, food and sanitary items for people in need.
Bettermentall is breaking stigmas one run at a time, and showing that truly, community is better together.
Visit Bettermentall’s Facebook page for more information.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, phone: Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline 13 11 14.
