“You are not alone. You are not a burden. You are worthy of life.”

For the past 460 days, Kiama’s Alex Glover has been walking across Australia, quietly yet powerfully changing lives. His mission, Strides Against Suicide, is more than a personal journey. It is a moving, step-by-step call to talk openly about men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

Alex has covered more than 16,000km on foot. Tasmania, the latest leg of the walk, was added with intention.

“I figured, yeah, it's a state, so it needs to have the same respect given to it.”

Respect is what drives him - for people, for place and for pain that too often goes unspoken. On quiet stretches of road, Alex invites conversation simply by being there. A man with a backpack, a mission, and time to listen.

"It's a lot easier to open up to a stranger than to someone you know and love," he says. “Hopefully, that encourages them to talk to their friends and family too.”

His first day on the road brought an unforgettable reminder of unpredictability.

A car burnout happened just metres from where he was camped.

Alex Glover being interviewed in Lenah Valley. Photo: Steven White

"It was a powerful reminder that you are where you are, and you must accept your surroundings."

Since then, he has crossed deserts, coastlines and cities. In Tasmania, he chose a more intimate route, walking anti-clockwise from Hobart and exploring the small towns off the tourist trail. Flying in, rather than catching the Spirit of Tasmania, meant lighter gear and safer walking on narrow country roads.

He wandered through remote forests, hiked rugged ridgelines, and lay awake at night listening to the wild, eerie cry of Tasmanian devils.

On Black Buff in the Alpine region, he pushed through sleet, wind and rain, falling again and again until his foot gave way.“I think I’ve torn a few ligaments,” he admits, almost casually.

But there is no pause in the mission. With about 1500km to go before returning home to Kiama, Alex is still walking, still waving at passing cars, still stopping when someone pulls over and says, “Hey mate, got a minute?”

He has already raised more than $13,000.

His bigger dream is to fund nature-based camps for boys facing mental health challenges, creating a space where connection can grow and healing can begin.

For Alex, each step is an invitation to speak.Each conversation is a lifeline

And for the strangers who meet him on the side of the road, his presence is a quiet reassurance that someone cares enough to walk this far, just to listen.

📹 Watch the interview here.