Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Stories

Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Stories.

Men from all walks of life are telling their stories to encourage other men to seek help early rather than wait till they are at crisis point.

English cricketer Marcus Trescothick and ex All Black John Kirwan along with a range of New Zealand men are sharing their experiences of difficult times in their lives through Whirlwind, a project by two Kapiti Coast men.

“Men tend to not ask for help until they are in a crisis,” says Kapiti counsellor and Primary Mental Health Coordinator Martin Sloman.

“This is reflected in New Zealand’s very high rate of suicides by men – three to four times more men suicide than women. More people took their own lives in NZ in 2010 than died in road related deaths.”

The Whirlwind project consists of postcards featuring quotes by men who have stories to tell, and an album of original music by Ryan Edwards recorded in a beach-front cafe, featuring Mike Chunn of Split Enz. Both Martin and Ryan have provided quotes for postcards, along with the face of the It’s not OK Campaign Vic Tamati and Split Enz musician Mike Chunn.

“Music has the power to resonate, so when I saw the potential of a collaboration between art and outreach, Whirlwind came to life.” says Ryan Edwards.

The Whirlwind stories will be told wherever men go – cafes, bars, waiting rooms, stores where men shop – throughout New Zealand, and they link to a website featuring the full story behind each of the quotes. The Whirlwind album, along with a selection of postcards will be available for a gold coin donation from selected Marbeck’s stores. “Typically men aren’t very good at coming forward and admitting that they have a problem, they’re more likely to wait until they are in a crisis before getting help.” says Sloman.

“Yet the experience of having a problem is pretty normal, it’s just that men tend not to talk about it which makes it hard for them to help each other.”

“The hope with this project is that men will be encouraged enough by other men’s stories to realise that it definitely is OK not to be OK and that they are not alone.” The project will be launched in Men's Health Week 13 - 19 June. More postcards will be produced as more men come forward with a story to tell.

The two men also host a radio show Well Well Well on Kapiti Coast Access Radio where they interview anyone who has had an interesting and challenging life, broadly around the subject of wellness.

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