Ben Hampton is saddling up for a 15-day bike rise to raise money for Suicide Prevention Australia

A PHONE call to tell Ben Hampton one of his closest friends had taken his own life left him numb. Now he’s doing something to raise funds for suicide awareness and prevention.

Ben Hampton bike ride

BEN Hampton will always remember the shock of it.

Just over two years ago he received a phone call on a Tuesday morning informing him one of his closest friends had died while overseas. He was 26.

The circumstances numbed Hampton. His mate had taken his own life.

Junior football premiership teammates at Cheltenham Panthers, they had travelled together the previous year and Hampton saw nothing in his friend’s behaviour to suggest he was having troubles.

“Just couldn’t believe it,’’ Hampton, an assistant coach at VAFA club Parkdale Vultures, said last week.

“I didn’t see it coming. I went around Europe with him for eight months. We were side by side the whole time and not once did I see anything to worry me.

“He was always an eclectic character. Would light up a room. He had that sort of personality where he made everyone feel they were the centre of attention.

“We were always a crew of seven. The other six of us were back here … because it was overseas, you felt a bit helpless.’’

Having a drink with another of the group, former AFL footballer Shane Valenti, on New Year’s Eve, Hampton got thinking about doing something to raise funds for suicide awareness and prevention.

He eventually decided on a bike ride, from Melbourne to Byron Bay.

A lot of planning later, he will set off in December on a 15-day and 2000km journey he expects to finish on New Year’s Eve. The date is significant: it will be his late friend’s birthday. Hampton has already raised more than half of his target of $100,000 for what is being promoted as Tour de Byron.

Ben Hampton is riding from Melbourne to Byron Bay to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness. Ben Pictured at Elwood beach. Picture: Stuart Milligan

In preparation for the ride and fundraiser for Suicide Prevention Australia, he has been averaging 500 to 600km a week on his bike.

“I broke my leg playing footy three years ago and it got me into cycling, but I’ve never done it at the realm I’m training for now,’’ Hampton said.

“It’s gone from two days a week socially to six days a week fulltime. I have a rest day on Thursday where I have a bit of massage or do some boxing to give my legs a rest.

“Physically, I feel really good. We’re still 20 weeks out. It’s probably more the mental side of things I’m trying to work on, things I can’t control, like the weather, hills, wind, fatigue levels, and probably what I’m going to think about for six to 10 hours on my own when I’m on the bike.’’

He thinks his little mate Valenti will have a tough job too. The VFL’s two-time JJ Liston Trophy winner will drive the support car the whole way, tootling along at 25kmh for up to 10 hours each day. “I put it in the context of trying to find a park at Southland (shopping centre) for eight hours!’’ Hampton said. “It’s a huge effort on his part. He’ll be organising my food and ice baths and so on when I arrive in every town.’’

As he’s promoted his ride, Hampton has highlighted the issue of suicide and the work of for Suicide Prevention Australia, which he calls a “pretty underfunded organisation’’.

“One of the big stats is that more people die of suicide than skin cancer every year. And yet come summer time you see the billions of dollars worth of ads for slip, slop, slap. You might see one or two ads for mental health.

“That’s been a big driving force, to raise the awareness, just in honour of my friend. It’s been great to hear people talking about it, especially men. Four out of five people who take their own lives are men. We need to break that stigma about mental health and drop your ego for a minute and ring a mate and say you’re having a rough time, or stay in touch with a mate who you know is having a rough time.’’

For more about Ben Hampton’s bike ride go to http://www.tourdebyron.com/

Ben Hampton and Shane Valenti. Pictured at Elwood beach. Picture: Stuart Milligan

FROM SUICIDE PREVENTION AUSTRALIA

“Every year hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by suicide or suicidal behaviours devastating families, friends and communities. We believe that there is wisdom gained by those who have been touched by suicide and that in order to prevent suicide we need to harness this wisdom.

“We must learn everything we can from communities with lived experience of suicide to help in the design and delivery of suicide prevention programs and services.

“With the support of funds raised through Tour De Byron, Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) is building a national network of people with lived experience. This will be helped not only by the funds raised but also by informing the thousands of people with whom Ben will come into contact during the ride about the network and then may wish to join us.

“As members of the network people may be involved in raising awareness in their local community, training to tell their story so that we can more openly speak about suicide and its impact.

“Activities of this type will help to remove the stigma that prevents many people from seeking help when they need it.

“There may even be members who want to actively work with local members of parliament to increase understanding of the importance of suicide and its prevention for their communities.’’

■ Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.