While walking around Kiama in October, you may spot a man in what looks like an army vest. That man is local resident Lee Mallon, who is wearing a 10kg vest for 10 hours a day throughout the month to raise awareness for mental health.

When I learned about Lee's challenge, I reached out to him for a chat. He invited me to join him, so I donned a vest and walked alongside him.

Lee is participating in the Top Blokes Foundation initiative, which involves carrying the 10kg vest for a total of 50 km during October. The aim is to shed light on the mental health challenges young males face. However, Lee decided to take it a step further; instead of just walking 50 km, he committed to wearing the vest for ten hours a day every day.

“I decided to take that challenge to the next level and raise awareness for youth mental health as much as I could. The only way I could think of doing that was wearing the vest 10 hours a day for the entire month of October. It popped into my head a week beforehand and I thought, I’m going to do this,” Lee explains.

As I strapped on one of the 10 kg packs, I immediately felt heavier and slower. While 10 kgs might not sound like much, in a vest that digs into your shoulders, it becomes significantly more burdensome.

“I struggle sometimes. It’s hard work to just sit; it’s easier when you’re moving. But when you’re sitting, you can’t help but think about it,” says Lee.

Driving poses another challenge for Lee. He can’t drive while wearing the vest, which complicates his job that sometimes requires long hours on the road. To compensate for missed time, he commits to doing 2 km on his elliptical machine for every hour he loses.

Lee’s motivation stems from his young son Riley's personal struggles with mental health. He recalls a poignant evening when Riley confided that the weight of his issues never seemed to lift.

“He told us about how things never left him, that they were always there,” says Lee. “I thought that using weighted vests would be a good way to raise awareness for these issues. I can take the vest off, but people like Riley can’t.”

Lee announced his challenge through a heartfelt video on his Facebook page, detailing the difficulties his family has faced. The video has been shared nearly 30 times and has helped him raise over $3,000 for the Top Blokes Foundation.

On his walks, Lee has shared his video link with 50 strangers, hoping to inspire others to open up about their own struggles.

“I hope people find the courage to talk to someone if they’re feeling down. There’s so much pressure on kids these days, especially with social media, making them feel they have to be someone they’re not,” Lee says.

He also encourages parents to engage with their children by asking, “Is everything okay? You can talk to me.” Building that trust takes time, and it’s essential for kids to feel safe doing so.

Lee believes teenagers are at a critical juncture in their lives, where early intervention can make a significant difference. He supports the Top Blokes Foundation for their work in schools, targeting young people at this pivotal stage.

“I believe that if you don’t get help early on, it’s much harder later down the track. This program is aimed at kids still in school,” Lee emphasises.

During our walk together, Riley, Lee, and I managed to cover 2km, and I was relieved to finally take off the vest.

Riley shares his thoughts on his father's initiative: “I think it is really good at representing the strenuous day-to-day weight that mental health issues can give you, and initiatives like this are doing great things.”

Lee wants to thank everyone for their support. You can find his Facebook video here and you can donate to his challenge here.