A signature Ocean Grove tournament will bring community members from across the region to help break the stigma of mental health.
Bowl For Your Lives (BFYL) will embrace the national mental health movement of No One Rolls Alone during an Australia Day tournament at Ocean Grove Bowls Club.
BFYL co-founder Shane Hafner said 144 competitors would participate in the tournament, facilitating open and supportive conversations around mental health.
“We make the day about mental health to break down the stigmas associated with it and create an atmosphere where people can look out for the people around them,” he said.
“If you notice changes in someone you know, there’s generally a reason for it, and you shouldn’t ignore it…and we don’t want people to feel like they can’t talk about their mental health.”
Mr Hafner said he and BFYL co-founder Cameron Ryan were former Victoria Police officers who turned to lawn bowls to support them through their mental health journeys with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I noticed changes within myself where I was just isolating, and I certainly turned to alcohol to self-medicate, and I couldn’t sleep, so I just became quite bitter,” he said.
“But once I knew what I had, I accepted that, and I knew what I had to do, which basically included being kind to yourself and accepting that there are going to be moments when you’re not yourself.”
BFYL’s Australia Day Tournament is from 9.30am on Monday 26 January, and serves as an official precursor to the State-Wide Mental Health Awareness Round on 31 January.
