Nik Shepheard raises awareness in Inverloch

TEN years ago, Nik Shepheard of Kite Board for Life Australia had a life changing experience.  

“My life came to a point where I didn’t want to be here anymore, and my suicide attempt was averted by my partner and my then 5-year-old son...They weren’t meant to be there that day and it was only within minutes and I wouldn’t have been around.”

He knew that something had to change. 

“It was real pivotal part in my life, to say what do you really want here? What is it you really want to do? And I had to make a decision that day and then I started.”

Nik decided to use his love of kite boarding as the anchor to raise awareness about suicide and depression. He would do this by being the first man to circumnavigate Australia on his kite board, the longest ever journey undertaken. He would stop in coastal towns to talk to individuals and communities alike.  

“I started focusing on how I could do such a thing, no one has ever attempted it, and then my life started to change. It’s like I have something, I’ve always had my family and friends, but this was something I could make a difference to, and it was my second chance to do something.

“Kiteboarding has always been that thing that lifted me up out of my hole…It’s the freedom. I can go, basically go anywhere… I love to do long distance kiting and the deeper and the darker the water, the better.”

Nik launched from his home at Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula on February 11, 2023. He landed in Inverloch about four weeks ago and while he has itchy feet and would have liked to have kept going on his journey, mechanical issues have prevented him.

“A big part of that is journey is to talk to individuals, but also community groups, schools, workplaces and sporting clubs… I talk about my life, I talk about depression, I talk about suicide, I talk about how it affected my life, how I got better, how I stay well, my battles, my constant battles, how I deal with them. Recovery, resilience, and the big important one is warning signs, especially for guys.”

“…every time I speak, it’s soul on the sleeve…Sometimes there’s tears, sometimes there’s the F-bomb, sometimes there’s a lot of laughter, there’s a bit of everything…”

Nik reaches out to communities before he arrives with a Facebook post on the local Community Noticeboards, and he has been well received by the Inverloch community.

“So, before I came here I did that and that’s how I met Rod Price, and Rod’s pretty integral in the community…and so he invited me in and tucked me under his wing and I met the inner circle of Inverloch and they’ve all been super supportive.” 

Nik has spoken twice at the Inverloch pub in front of more than 80 people and has had the chance to connect individually with many people in Inverloch. 

“Everyone’s got a story and a lot of it’s just listening, and you engage with these people, and they walk away feeling better and that’s what I’m doing, that’s what it’s about. Or they walk away with a plan.”

Nik’s boat, adorned with an array of colourful flags, has become a common and recognisable site among Inverloch locals, and not least among the Inverloch pre-schoolers who regularly spend time on the beach. 

“I’ve become a celebrity to them because whenever they’re there, you can hear (if I’m in the boat) its, Nik! Nik! Nik! Nik! 

“So, I had a chat to them one day, so I had to try and explain to these little kids, these little pre-schoolers what I was doing and, it just came out…I’m trying to make sad people happy, and then one of the kids piped up and said, well we do that at school, and I said, great! Perfect.”

One of Nik’s aims on this journey is to create an ongoing legacy in the communities he stops at, through an initiative called Beach Reach.  

“The idea was to kind of dot these beach reaches as I go as well. It’s like a legacy. It’s a place where people can come in their local community who’ve either suffered depression or lost someone to suicide. Its non-clinical and it’s a group of people with a common bond and it’s for the carers as well, so the people who don’t suffer but are the people who are looking after them. So it’s a way that people can swap stories, provide support, friendship…But not only that, they enjoy activities together while they have that meeting.”

A Beach Reach program has been established in Inverloch and will meet regularly. Anyone can join in the meetings, which will initially be organised and run by Inverloch local, Rod Price.

 “It’s so simple but I think it’s a game changer, it really helps,” said Nik. 

Nik will continue on his journey around Australia, with his next stop being in Welshpool. 

 “I believe this is my life’s work,” he said. 

You can support the charity Kite for Life by going to KFLA.com.au, there’s a donate now button and a link to a GoFundMe page. 

Personal and corporate sponsorships are both welcome and Beyond Blue will be the beneficiary of any remaining funds raised. Follow Nik’s journey on Instagram and Facebook at Kite Board for Life Australia 

If you would like to join in a beach reach session in Inverloch, please contact Rod Price at beachreach@outlook.com or go to the Facebook page beachreachinverloch.

For crisis support or suicide intervention services, call: 13 11 14