Mike King was injured while preparing for the Due Drop Hope Challenge.
Mike King was injured while preparing for the Due Drop Hope Challenge.
Mike King is always prepared to put his body on the line for youth mental health.
But the former comedian admits his crash during his training preparing for a cross-country swim, run and cycle from Cape Reinga to Wellington was no laughing matter.
While training for the upcoming 16-day challenge, starting on February 14, 2023, King fell off his bike, and now has bruises on his left hip and leg.
“I was in too much of a hurry to get to the pool, too excited. I bruised from my knee to my hip and right across the front of my thigh, and I’ve still got a hematoma on my right hip,” King told the Herald.
“But it’ll be all right. It’s all part of the fun and games, so it’s been a great experience, and I’m looking forward to getting out there with the legends.”
King, founder of charity I Am Hope and rangatahi counselling service Gumboot Friday, is in awe of the support this event has attracted.
Mike King will swim, run and cycle in the Due Drop Hope Challenge for Gumboot Friday.
The challenge starts in Cape Reinga on February 14 and ends at Parliament about 16 days later, where King (Ngāpuhi) will call on political leadership to improve rangatahi mental health services.
Helping to raise money will be sports stars and philanthropists including ex-All Black Ian Jones MNZM, former World Triathlon and Commonwealth Games champion Rick Wells, as well as ex-international league star and I Am Hope advocate Richie Barnett (Ngāpuhi).
King admits his cycling is “not that great”, but says he has found a passion for swimming.
“The challenge itself is quite significant for me, because I had my first-ever swimming lesson on January 26, last year. It involved swimming 25 metres, and I nearly died. I got to the end and that was me - I was done.
“The ocean scared me. I grew up in the Jaws era. Even in the bath, I hear the theme tune for Jaws. I never dreamed I’d be able to do what I do now. I can swim 400 metres off-shore and swim for a couple of kilometres. Yesterday I swam three kilometres at the Parnell Baths, and it’s nice and easy.
“It’s opened up a whole new world for me. A 60-year-old man, just learning how to swim and enjoying it,” King said.
He has been part of a training group, described by All Black Jones as like-minded and “somewhat crazy old mates” hoping to bring to the forefront the hopelessness and profound suffering rangatahi go through, driving New Zealand’s “absolutely tragic” suicide statistics.
Image 1 of 7: Rick Wells
King said we can not keep giving lip service to our young people’s mental health.
In a tearful radio interview in November last year, King said he was “tired of online virtue signallers, politicians, and arrogant bureaucrats” failing to help struggling New Zealanders.
On the way south, athletes will visit 16 towns where they will engage with iwi, communities, schools and businesses to encourage participation.
“Inaction is injustice, and we’re taking action. If those in power won’t do anything about our kid’s suffering, we will, and we are. Who knows if I’ll make it out the other end of this, but I am going all in.”
He said while the challenge will be taken to the steps of Parliament, he’s not sure who will meet him or what type of reception he’ll receive.
“Maybe we’ll be met there by Christopher Luxon, rather than the Government,” King said.
He said he had been warned to ease up on his constant criticism of the Government’s lack of youth mental health delivery, but keeping his mouth shut would not be true to who he is or what he does.
He said the cost for face-to-face counselling under the current scheme is $485, whereas Gumboot Friday counselling costs $126, which is paid by donations from “legendary Kiwis”.
