Albany’s Sean Ramsell rides his motorcycle around Australia to raise money for Black Dog Institute

Albany’s Sean Ramsell is revving his engine and riding his motorcycle around Australia to raise money for the Black Dog Institute.

Mr Ramsell embarked on his journey from Albany on Sunday and is set to finish his lap by mid-September.

The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit mental health research institute that investigates mental health across the lifespan from childhood to adulthood.

Mr Ramsell said he had always wanted to ride a lap of Australia and this was the perfect excuse to do it.

“I was looking for any excuse to go motorbike riding and I came across this charity group called Black Dog ride and I thought, ‘OK cool, I’ll join them’ and then I realised what it’s all about,” he said.

The idea of riding for mental health is something that resonates closely with Mr Ramsell.

“It’s about mental health and suicide prevention and that’s quite close to what I do as part of my job,” he said.

“My role is an emergency services officer on a mine site, so I’m a site paramedic and I train the rescue team and doing that sort of stuff.

“Having the lived experience of having depression myself and mental health challenges through both my role and external life, I wanted to make it bigger instead of just me having a good time on a motorbike.”

Mr Ramsell began the fundraising in August when he rode his bike north to his workplace in the Pilbara.

“I kicked off the fundraiser in August by riding to the Pilbara, to where I work, from Albany and because nobody’s seen a motorbike on a mine site I raised $1000 in one night,” he said.

The fundraiser is off to a great start and Mr Ramsell said he was going to have to update his goal.

“The fundraiser is now up to $8800 and my original goal was $10,000 but I think I’m going to smash that so I will have to upgrade that,” he said.

“Because your vulnerable on a bike, people will happily talk to you and I managed to raise $100 on the side of the road while talking to people about mental health challenges.”

The motorcyclist is not only fundraising but has also arranged visits to various Men’s Sheds across the country to raise awareness about mental health.

“I have got appointments made with Men’s Sheds around the country where I will go and give a talk on mental health and suicide prevention and ways to improve and maintain your own mental health,” he said.

Mr Ramsell said his employer had been very supportive allowing for him to complete the lap in three months.

“The whole lap is three months, however it’s broken into two halves,” he said.

“I’m going across the bottom down to Tasmania, up through as many highlands and twisty roads as I can find, through Sydney and then all the way up to Brisbane where I’m leaving my bike at a family member’s house for three months so I can fly back to work and then in August I fly back to Brisbane and do another six weeks across the top.

“My work, Endurance Mining have sponsored me for fuel, paying for $2000 worth of fuel for me and they’ve made a lump sum donation of $3000 as well.”

So far, Mr Ramsell remains extremely positive about the journey ahead.

“The biggest challenge right now is the wind to be honest,” he said.

“However, there’s no such thing as bad weather, it’s just inappropriate choice of clothing.”

He is now four days into his journey and is facing the Nullarbor.

“I did Albany to Esperance on the first day, then Esperance to Balladonia for my second day and third day was Balladonia to Eucla and now I’m on the Nullarbor,” he said.

“I should roll down to the waterfront in Albany mid-September.”

Donations can be made via the Sean’s Lap of the Big Paddock website on mycause.com.