Sam Hill walks with other dads to offer support

“Getting out in the fresh air and enjoying a bit of exercise with your children is definitely a step forward when it comes to mental health.”

Sam Hill, Man with a Pram, invites other CQ families to walk with him on Sunday

Sam Hill would like to invite all the Central Queensland dads and their families to join him and his family for a leisurely walk along the Fitzroy River on Sunday morning.

Mr Hill has experienced not only the joy of raising two healthy sons but also the tragic death of his daughter at 35 weeks.

He put his name forward when the Dads Group of Australia called for local initiatives to provide opportunities for fathers of all kinds to connect.

“Getting out in the fresh air and enjoying a bit of exercise with your children is definitely a step forward when it comes to mental health,” he said.

“Not just for me but I’m also trying to provide a positive role model for my kids.”

Sam Hill, Man with a Pram, invites other CQ families to walk with him on Sunday

The first of its kind in Rockhampton, the Man With a Pram walk will begin on the riverbank opposite the Heritage Hotel on Sunday about 8.30am.

Mr Hill is confident the CBD paving will prove accessible to parents with mobility issues, and to those who push strollers or themselves require disability access.

And the walk’s not restricted to just the men; their partners are more than welcome.

Too often, he said, fathers are sidelined as just “babysitting” their own children or “playing mum”.

His work as a geotechnical consultant – he inspects culverts and pavements when he’s not stuck behind a computer fielding tenders – means he occasionally spends evenings and weekends away from home.

But he’s the first to “press pause” when his wife Emily’s teaching studies take precedence.

“I’ve tried very hard to reach a point where I can make myself available for a football game or a school carnival,” he said.

“I’ve consciously distanced myself from school friends who expect to come home from work and find dinner on the table and then have a beer without their kids in sight.”

Sam Hill, Man with a Pram, invites other CQ families to walk with him on Sunday

He said his six-year old son Parker was “not particularly excited” about the prospect of a Sunday morning family outing.

“It’s quite normal to him that the family walk along the riverbank as of an evening or swim at the lagoon on a weekend,” he said.

“The Dads’ Group regularly schedules meet-ups for a coffee or at the mini trains, for example.

“I would encourage anyone who identifies as a dad – weekend single dad, foster dad, grandfather, uncle – as well as the mums out there to come join us this Sunday.”