Bond University Bull Sharks star Paris Lightfoot, daughter of Daniel Lightfoot, joins Sana Days to create Run for Resilience

A Gold Coast Aussie rules star, and the daughter of a famed fashion designer, has joined forces with a local charity founder to create a new event; determined to make an emphatic change.

Paris Lightfoot and Brock Day pictured ahead of the Run For Resilience which is aimed at raising funds for mental health support. Northcliffe Tuesday 16th May 2023 Picture David Clark

Paris Lightfoot admits the sense of grief which has engulfed her since her famous father’s death has been unwavering.

However barely five months on from the day famed fashion designer Daniel Lightfoot took his own life, the Bond University QAFLW star has joined forces with a Gold Coast charity to ensure change comes from her family’s tragedy.

Lightfoot and Brock Day of Sana Days have collaborated to create Run For Resilience — a 22km fundraising initiative to enhance awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention, taking place from Northcliffe Surf Club on May 27.

“I’m a doer,” Lightfoot laughs when asked what inspired her to help orchestrate the event so soon after her father’s death.

“I’ve always been passionate about doing things in the community for mental health having some of my closest best friends lose their fathers to suicide and having had my dad struggle with mental health struggles.

“I guess since it’s happened it’s really pushed me to want to make a bigger change. It keeps me busy in the community and with a purpose, it helps me get through my own struggles and grief.

“If people have a purpose, people start exercising, people start getting around their community it does help.”

Paris Lightfoot and Brock Day pictured ahead of the Run For Resilience which is aimed at raising funds for mental health support. Northcliffe Tuesday 16th May 2023 Picture David Clark

Lightfoot has rallied support from her Bond University teammates – as well as those from rival Gold Coast QAFL outfits – to take part in the charity run, with members of her ACTV Strength Co gym in Ashmore, and the outlets in Burleigh and Coolangatta, also primed to take part.

The Bull Sharks skipper has sought to educate herself on depression and mental health in the aftermath of her dad’s passing, revealing what she believed instigated the celebrated Queensland fashion icon’s descent towards his Christmas Day death.

She said crucial to fighting through her own struggles comprehending her loss had been her sporting endeavours; remaining a core part of Bond’s QAFLW ambitions this season.

“Although we were aware of dad’s mental health struggles over the past 10 years I guess we weren’t aware of the extent,” Lightfoot said.

“It’s still in the initial phases of coming to terms with that he’s not here anymore. There’s feelings of guilt, feelings of what could we have done from the family side of things which we’ve had to try and push through and just try and think of the good times with dad.

“It seems like a common theme that it’s males that are either successful or involved in the community. I think that’s what my dad really struggled with; he was a really successful fashion designer so to him to struggle with something like that he must have felt shame to not be able to open up and talk to us about how he was feeling.

“That has obviously been hard for us to come to terms with … so we need to keep spreading awareness.”

Suzie, Daniel and Paris Lightfoot

Run For Resilience is set to be Sana Days’ first major initiative since becoming a registered charity, despite Day having the brand for the past three years.

Raised on the Sunshine Coast prior to his move to the Glitter Strip, Day founded his organisation in the years that followed his father Robert’s suicide in 2013.

Robert’s status in the community as a prominent builder, supermarket owner, surf club member and local rugby stalwart made him a well-known figure in the region, and Day admits it took years to cast aside his own feelings of embarrassment and shame.

However he said that was where running clubs and exercise became a major part of his own healing, penning the charity’s message: a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Day called on the Gold Coast community to get on board with the forthcoming event, with 12km and 5km options also available but with the final goal of finishing the final stretch as one collective.

“He (Robert) was a very popular guy, very friendly, very outgoing, had a great sense of humour. It was a massive shock when it actually did happen because no one really saw it coming,” Day said.

“And that’s where that embarrassment and shame really came from because I’d never wanted anyone to remember my dad like that.

“I think once I finished the grieving process I realised mental health wasn’t going anywhere. “There’s no real cure for it, so I was like ‘what can I do in the space of mental health to try and get people feeling good?’ That’s where the exercise side came about, because I’ve always exercised for my mental health so I started a brand just to encourage people to get out there and get moving.

Paris Lightfoot and Brock Day pictured ahead of the Run For Resilience which is aimed at raising funds for mental health support. Northcliffe Tuesday 16th May 2023 Picture David Clark

“We really want to make this a success and it really resonates with what we’re about as a charity: pushing your limits for mental health. So we’re choosing a distance that is going to be a little bit challenging because let’s face it life gets f*****g tough some times.

“Running really translates into real life, so when you want to quit you keep going, you keep pushing forward and you’re going to get through it.”

Day hopes the funds raised from the Run For Resilience will enable Sana Days to create further community initiatives and events moving forward to continue raising awareness and support for sufferers of mental illness.

To register for the event click here.

If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.