In Episode 43, Sunny and Mayank sit with Damien Bugeja. Damien is an incredibly inspiring individual who makes it his life mission to educate and inspire people about the benefits of community. Damien suffered a traumatic experience during his teen years when he lost his dad to a rare form of cancer. His pure resilience and willingness to inspire others led him to complete a 290km run from Craigieburn to Yarrawonga. Yes, that’s right 290km over 6 days!! Damien raised over $60,000 for the Peter McCullum Cancer Centre and continues to inspire the lives of many through the platform he has created.
Throughout the episode, Damien unpacks what it was like to lose the one person closest to him in this world and how the impact of such trauma generated a profound ripple effect throughout his life, leading him on the ultimate journey in which he is living, each and every day.
Damien was extremely vulnerable during today’s episode as he discusses his battles in depth. We chat all things embracing fear and vulnerability, and using these as forces for good <3
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You can get in contact with Damien by following:
Instagram: @damienbugeja, @runforjoey
Website: https://www.runforjoey.com.au
If you are feeling like you need extra support there are organisations that can definitely help you through some tough situations. It’s not weak to speak. Here are the links below.
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There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.
LifeLine - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/
Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/
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As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.
Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!
If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.
For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.
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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
