Member Spotlight

DYFA TEAM PLUMBS DEPTHS OF FATIGUE FOR INDUSTRY SUICIDE PREVENTION

It was no walk to the letterbox for MPAQ member DYFA Plumbing!

In late May, six of the intrepid team at Sunshine Coast’s DYFA Plumbing commenced pounding the pavement for the DYFA Goggins’ Run Challenge, a grueling test of both physical and mental endurance devised by its namesake, ultramarathon runner and retired Navy SEAL, David Goggins. It was the American who first coined the challenge, which entails running four miles every four hours for 48 hours. For the more metrically inclined, that’s 6.5km, 12 times across a 48-hour period, totaling 78kms!

It was all about testing their limits, coming together, and raising funds for MATES in Construction, says DYFA Director, Dylan Fahey.

“As a team, we always like to find new ways to challenge ourselves. At the start of the year, one of the team said ‘I’m going to do this Goggin’s run challenge this year’. From there, we all just got behind it and went, ‘well, if you’re going to do it, I’m going to do it’. Next thing, we’re all going to do it. That’s how it started,” Dylan said.

With a new dream hatched, the DYFA team set about preparations for the enormous challenge at their feet. The boys ran both individually and together near daily for five months. Even smoko breaks were taken as an opportunity to stretch the legs and bank a few more miles; preparations that would come to the fore when the real action commenced. Only days out from their first steps, some of the boys undertook a simulation for the challenge, putting together the 8pm, midnight and 4am runs.

“Preparations were all about helping us to get used to our bodies being super tired, but still being able to wake up in the middle of the night ready to go. There were also heaps of physio appointments, massages, and stuff like that to make sure our bodies were in the best possible condition,” Dylan said.

Logistics for the run also required considerable planning. A house leased at Twin Waters served as DYFA HQ for the weekend, replete with an ice bath and fridge stocked to the brim with food to help power the team according to a robust nutrition plan. The team were ready for the enormous task ahead.

It was a tremendous challenge on mind and body, said Dylan, but the physical aspect proved to be more onerous as the run progressed.

“It definitely taxed our bodies big time. Especially the knees, feet covered in blisters, and the lack of sleep,” he said.

The team ran through each four-mile set in approximately 45 mins, allowing little time for sleep once things like warm up, cool down, and refueling were accounted for. Each runner gained only six or so hours sleep over the 48-hour duration of the challenge. Pain and fatigue continued to mount, but Dylan says it was the team itself that pulled each other towards achieving their goal.

“Even though everyone was experiencing their own personal pain and struggles, running with the group of guys made for a really supportive environment. There was no whining. We all kept it super positive and were all there to pump each other up and provide encouragement the whole way,” he said.

“For me, that was the most appealing and important part of this challenge and has a lot to do with why we chose MATES in Construction as our charity for fundraising. The MATES program is all about mates looking after mates. The idea that we’re stronger when we stick together. Running with the boys gave this same sense of strength. If anyone felt a bit down in the dumps, or physically sore, or whatever, we knew that we were all in the challenge together and would find a way to help push each other along,” Dylan said.

MATES is a non-partisan, independent charity established in 2008 to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers. Construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than an accident at work, and the industry suicide rate is 80% higher than the general working age population.

Cameron Brown - Pacific Blue Developments

DYFA Plumbing team on a training run (From Left) Greg Nixon – South East Queensland Commercial Lead Estimator, Dave Spurling – Central Queensland Commercial and Residential Lead Estimator, Darin Branks - Maintenance Operations Manager, CFO Ravi Sharma, CEO Dylan Fahey

Since its inception, MATES has contributed to an 8% decrease in suicide rates across the industry and was recently presented as an example of global best practice in a World Health Organization resource on suicide prevention in nations.

It’s a mission that resonates strongly with Dylan, who has been part of the construction and mining industry for well over a decade.

“We’ve been in the construction and mining industry since 2009. I’ve been in the industry longer than that but have been employing people since then. I’ve seen firsthand the effects that suicide has on people in our industry and how prevalent mental health issues are in our industry.”

“To me, what MATES in Construction does is all aligned with us. We knew the run would be a huge challenge in lots of ways. But we also knew that if we could stick together during the challenge, it shows how we can stick together in life in general. No one needs to walk alone. We can all support each other and help each other out on this journey. It just seemed like a really good fit and the right cause to be raising money for.”

“At the end of the day, we were able to raise around $24,000 for MATES. I’m so proud of the whole team for getting through the challenge, and a big thanks to everyone who supported us on this journey!”

You can find out more about DYFA Plumbing at www.dyfaplumbing.com.au, and more information about MATES can be found at www.mates.org.au.

Article supplied by Mates in Construction

“EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE WAS EXPERIENCING THEIR OWN PERSONAL PAIN AND STRUGGLES, RUNNING WITH THE GROUP OF GUYS MADE FOR A REALLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT”

Sam Griffin DYFA Plumbing Commercial Project Manager

Sean Gwillim – Shadforths Civil Major Sponsor, Dave Spurling, DYFA Group, Darin Branks – DYFA Group, Dylan Fahey – DYFA Group, Ravi Sharma – DYFA Group, Cameron Brown – Pacific Blue Developments, Greg Nixon – DYFA Group

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