Pace Shavers Brisbane to Ballina trek for mental health

The haunting experience of the neighbours next door drove an Empire Vale couple to rally for local flood victims. See how the hard yards are making a difference in Ballina Shire.

Members of Pace Shavers: Nathan Edwards, Kerry, Clay, Robin, Freya and Greer Schreiber, Lisa, Hamish and Ava Smith, with James Stimpson greet BallinamMayor Sharon Cadwallader with a bouquet of flowers and support for mental health in the region’s flood recovery. Picture: Cath Piltz

Two families and friends have banded together to run and ride over 200 kilometres - raising awareness and cash to support the mental health of local flood victims.

Team leader of Pace Shavers, Kerry Schreiber, said her farm on River Drive in Empire Vale was “completely decimated” by the floods, with more than a metre of water inundating their house.

“Stephen and I are very fortunate to be able to work elsewhere in other professions and regain our funds through hard work and positivity from close family and friends,” Ms Schreiber said.

Walking the talk, the Schreibers along with colleagues and friends, launched Pace Shavers to raise awareness of mental health and funds for Beyond Blue.

“We’re families from Brisbane and Empire Vale,” Ms Schreiber said.

The school teacher said the idea of running and riding from Brisbane to Ballina was to show the local community how by connecting with each other, together, the community can recover.

“This community, like many, are still dealing with a lot of issues,” she said.

“We want to show people that one of the significant things about getting through troubled times is to work together as a team, to be close to your family, and to use your loved ones for strength.

“That is what this project is about.”

Pace Shavers Nathan Edwards and Kerry Schreiber present Ballina mayor Sharon Cadwallader with a bouquet of flowers and a signed T-shirt as they reached Ballina after trekking more than 200km from Brisbane.

The Schreibers’ Empire Vale neighbours, Lyle and Virginia Brown, were left homeless after the floods.

“We had some space in our garage for our neighbours who live next to us who are pensioners,” Ms Schreiber said.

“They lost more than us, they lost a lot of roof – their house was very badly damaged so we gave them our garage to live in.”

Moved by the couple’s predicament, Ms Schrieber’s daughter Aisha asked her mum what more could they do.

“We put a GoFundMe page together and it raised $30,000, and that bought their floors and their walls so they have been able to move back in,” she said.

The couple, who have lived in the Schreibers’ garage until a month ago, have just been able to get back into their half-built house.

“We love them like our own family and the thing about working with people and trying to get things done is that you look at your own community first – you look at the closest people around you and you give them the support,” Ms Schreiber said.

“If you chip away like that then everyone is looked after and everyone is grateful, and we feel grateful we were able to help.”

Members of Pace Shavers: Nathan Edwards, Kerry, Clay, Robin, Freya and Greer Schreiber, Lisa, Hamish and Ava Smith, and James Stimpson greet Ballina mayor Sharon Cadwallader with a bouquet of flowers and support for mental health in the region’s flood recovery. Picture: Cath Piltz

The group’s goals is to raise $15,000 for Beyond Blue and mental health awareness.

Pace Shavers runner Nathan Edwards said the project was a “challenge”.

“We were teaching our Year 10 PE class, discussing the impact the floods have had on the Northern Rivers area and the mental health challenges that people have had throughout the year,” Mr Edwards said.

His colleagues and students wanted to do something so took on the challenge for “a good cause”.

Ballina mayor Sharon Cadwallader commended the team’s effort and positive impact they are making for the community.

“People are struggling with loss and for all different reasons,” Ms Cadwallader said.

“I commend this group for bringing mental health into focus – it’s something we should never forget because we will need to be supporting one another throughout whatever the circumstances are.

“I’m not a runner, not everybody can do those miles, but we can all support the great work that people do every day.”

You can support Pace Shavers here, or via Beyond Blue here.

“The main thing is how you can use the people around you to support you through grief, to support you and to help you get things done and get on with living,” Ms Schreiber said.