Wait one more minute, take one more step. This is the message Kiama’s Alex Glover is spruiking as he walks across Australia to raise awareness for men’s mental health and suicide prevention. 

Alex began his epic journey in January last year, setting off solo with just a tent and air mattress (he’s now onto number six). A year into his walk he has covered almost 15,000km - walking an average of 14 hours a day - eaten more than a thousand bananas and worn through seven pairs of sneakers.

Alex Glover arrived in South Australia in early December

“The scorching weather in the Top End and across the tip of Western Australia made the bitumen so hot it melted the soles of three pairs of shoes,” says Alex’s partner Sally who has joined him on various legs of his journey.

Along with searing heat, Alex has faced rat plagues, relentless rain and uncertainty around his next meal and water source, all while maintaining an incredible daily pace of 50km on average. 

Alex is not only battling the physical impact of traversing a harsh and unforgiving landscape, he also faces the daily struggle within his own mind, and has had to dig deep to find the resilience and strength needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Alex walks into Western Australia

It’s the people he meets along the way and the lives he’s touched that keep him going. Alex’s mantra ‘wait one more minute, take one more step’ resonates deeply, reminding people that persistence can lead to unexpected possibilities.

“Roadside conversations have become powerful moments,” Alex explains. “It’s often easier for people to open up to a stranger because they can share without the fear of judgment. My journey isn’t just about covering physical kilometres, it’s about creating connections and showing that even in difficult times you can achieve incredible things.” 

Some stretches have taken him through vast, remote landscapes where it was up to 20 days between towns. Each day he must find food, water and adequate shelter. 

To avoid the blistering daytime heat Alex walks when the sun goes down, but darkness brings other hazards; snakes, dingoes and bitterly cold desert nights.

“Alex has to stay vigilant with every step at night,” says Sally. “During one particularly desperate moment he had to urinate on his feet to warm them up.” 

Alex & CAtherine at the WA border.

It’s a stark reminder of life on the road. Basic comforts, like a shower, became a luxury.

Alex expects to clock up close to 17,000km once he returns to Kiama in April.

His aim is to encourage those at their lowest point to hold on and seek help, as well as sparking a national conversation about men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

“Alex’s journey is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience needed to face mental health challenges,” says his proud mum Catherine, who has joined him in South Australia. 

“I am amazed by his determination, his resilience, his problem-solving and how he can just keep going day in and day out.

“I’m actually in awe of him, to see how much he’s grown on this journey, the wisdom he’s gained. When he started I don't think I gave him enough credit. I thought he would maybe do the East Coast but that determination is so strong. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day I think of what he must be going through. It makes me realise my

problems pale into insignificance.”

Alex has not only learned self reliance, but the power of being present. He says the key to rising to the many challenges he has faced is setting himself small daily goals to achieve. 

“You can only face the hurdles in front of you right now,” says Alex. “One foot in front of the other, making grassroots connections to people from all walks of life.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the kindness that people have showed me along the way. Complete strangers just willing to open their homes for a night, or buy me something to eat, give me water.

“That human connection and compassion is what has kept me going.”

Alex’s epic journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another and the resilience of the human spirit. 

“Even in our darkest moments there is hope,” says Alex. “Sometimes all it takes is one more step.”

You can follow Alex on Facebook: @stridesagainstsuicide and Instagram: @Alex__glover. Alex continues to raise money for suicide prevention through his GoFundMe page which has raised nearly $12,000 to date. You can sponsor him here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/strides-against-suicide