Organised and Hosted by the Shuffle & Strides Team, The 2023 Bali Lapathon again took place at Finn’s Recreation Club in Canggu.
Shuffle and Strides was founded by two young Australian men, Jack Ahearn and Nick Royan, who lived in Bali before the pandemic. Witnessing the hunger crisis firsthand, Jack Ahearn organized the 4 x 4 x 48 challenge, followed by a cross-island run that raised funds for more than 100,000 meals. As longtime friends working in the mental health sector, they also observed the crisis situation among the local population, who had lost their jobs and the ability to provide for themselves.
Shuffle and Strides has brought its first mental health awareness training course to Indonesia, which has been developed to Western standards and reviewed by Indonesian mental health experts. This training course creates a space for the community to gain free knowledge and understanding of common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, giving them the skills and confidence to engage in conversations with their loved ones and seek appropriate professional help. The Talk, Walk, or Run Club has expanded across Indonesia, with locations in Bali, Manado, and Jakarta. Its aim is to bring people together to engage in healthy activities while connecting with each other on a personal level. Shuffle and Strides also brings the topic of mental health to the forefront with professional guidance and tools to provide information and assistance to thousands, if not millions, of Indonesian residents.
Shuffle and Strides will host a 24-hour Lapathon on September 16th and 17th, 2023, starting at 10 am. This community-based initiative invites anyone to participate, regardless of their fitness level. Participants can walk, jog, dance, or run around the track while Bali’s best bands play music, motivational speakers share their experiences about mental health, and vendors sell delicious food and drinks. To participate in the Lapathon, each participant must register through the website and select a target distance or time. The Right Reasons Team will build a fundraising campaign for each participant to raise funds for mental health awareness, tools, and treatments for Indonesian residents who are unable to access professional mental health care.
Each registrant is required to raise a minimum of IDR 1 million for Non-Indonesian Residents and IDR 250,000 for Indonesian citizens or residents to participate in the Lapathon, which will be used to cover event costs and contribute to the Shuffle and Strides foundation to continue providing mental health first aid.
