Walking to save lives

Pakenham resident and Rotary Club of Latitude 38 member Vivienne Armstrong supported Donna Bowman by walking alongside her for 20 kilometres. 193497_01.

By Jessica Anstice

Donna Bowman is committed to walking 3000 kilometres around Victoria for her husband, who tragically took his own life last year and in the hope to raise awareness for mental health and funds for the Victoria Police welfare unit.

Ms Bowman passed through Nar Nar Goon on her way back from Warragul on Monday afternoon.

Pakenham resident and Rotary Club of Latitude 38 member Vivienne Armstrong supported Ms Bowman by walking alongside her for 20 kilometres.

Her stroll began on March 18, exactly one year after Anthony Bowman, her husband and veteran police officer, committed suicide.

After starting her journey in her hometown, Geelong, Ms Bowman has walked through Ballan, Ballarat, Colac, Portland, Mildura, Swan Hill, Bendigo, Wangaratta, through the Alpine National Park, Bairnsdale and now to Mordialloc and Werribee, she aims to return home by Friday.

“After my husband died, I fell in a bit of a hole and ended up taking an overdose myself,” she said.

“I woke up to my four children’s faces looking at me and thought I really needed to do something about it so I dragged myself out of the hole that I was in.

“Exercise is one of the best things for mental health so I started exercising and from that I decided to go for a long walk.”

Talking to police officers along the way has been rewarding for her.

“A lot of them have opened up about struggles they’ve been having. It’s really encouraged me to keep doing what I’m doing,” she added.

“People are more than welcome to walk along with me. It makes the time go quicker.

“Sometimes I get bored and I find myself counting my steps.”

Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton will join Ms Bowman’s on Wednesday.

“I think having the chief commissioner walk with me will help raise a little bit more awareness,” she said.

“Being on my own for so long has been my biggest challenge so far. I listen to audio books along the way because it stops me wallowing in self-pity when my feet are sore and I’m in the middle of nowhere.

“Today (Monday) is the fifteenth day out of 55 that I’ve had someone walk with me. But I think I’ve got someone for the rest of the way now.”

A GoFundMe page called ‘Those Left Behind’ was set up in a bid to raise $1m. So far, about $80,000 has been successfully raised.

“I’ve been through six pairs of shoes and I have four left, which should be enough to get me home,” she said.

The next step for Ms Bowman is to push for mandatory debriefs after critical incidents to be conducted in the Victoria Police force.

To keep track of the final leg of her journey, visit her Facebook page ‘Those Left Behind’.