Encouraging others to seek help for depression
Maaka McKinney has served in Bosnia and dealt with death as a volunteer ambulance officer and firefighter but nothing prepared him for depression.
Now he is encouraging all emergency first responders to seek help for depression by cycling from Bluff to Wellington.
The former New Zealand Army artillery and infantryman cycled into Timaru on Tuesday afternoon from Waimate, after embarking on the journey from Bluff on April 21.
He plans to cycle to Porirua Police College in Wellington then run to Auckland (in firefighter kit) and arrive at the Sky Tower on May 13 to compete in the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge.
The challenge is a fundraiser for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) and this year has a target of raising $900,000.
With sore knees from pushing himself hard on his bike and sleeping under the stars, McKinney is determined to promote his message.
It was in 2014 he became depressed after a history of witnessing trauma, and working as a security contractor in Iraq.
‘‘I bottled it up and it hit me hard.’’
Eventually he got professional help and now wants to help others by promoting the measures each service has in place for counselling.
‘‘Ambulance officers can go to two or three fatalities a day with cardiac arrests and accidents. It takes its toll.’’
The 45-year-old spent 26 years in the army leaving last month.
The Auckland firefighter will continue on to Christchurch on his bike today.
As well as raising awareness his goal is to raise $10,000 for the LBC. He has already raised over $7000.