http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/pretty-big-run
Pretty Big Run Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/08/2014 - 1:45pm By ANNE DEMPSEY The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -March 26, 2014 was an indescribable day for Jeremy Schaefer. On that day, he completed his transcontinental run across North America. Schaefer is a 37-year-old carpenter from Springfield, VT. Across 5 months, he ran from town to town, from Hunter Island, SC to San Diego, CA. He stayed in churches and with families he’d never met before. He slept under overpasses, too. Someone stole his cell phone in AZ. The flu caught up with him. He photographed amazing sunsets. He reflected on his life and shared his experiences on Facebook. There have been others who have run across the US, but not with Schaefer’s resolute purpose. Yes, he was working towards a personal physical goal. That alone was not enough. From town to town, he spoke about mental illness, his mental illness -how it impacted his education, his employment, his sense of worth. He spoke of times when venturing out of his home was too frightening. He spoke of times when he no longer wanted to live. Dark times. His diagnoses spanned the spectrum – from ADHD, bipolar disorder to depression. When first seeking treatment, he relied on a combination of mental health therapy, medication and structured group support. Over time, he realized running every day was another tool he could use to manage his illness. The more disciplined he became as a runner, the less therapy, medication or structured support he needed. He’s told this story, his story of living with and managing mental illness to individuals and to groups across the country. Footage from one of his talks can be found on Youtube. (Search Youtube for Jeremy Schaefer.) He’s spread the word about NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. This organization provides resource services, educational classes -at no charge- and support groups to people who suffer from mental illness and to their family members. Locally, NAMI sponsors a free recovery support group for the mentally ill on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at HCRS, 390 River St. in the CRT room. While raising awareness of mental illness, Jeremy Schaefer has also raised funds through a crowd funding website called Rockethub. All money raised, that was not used to sustain Schaefer during his run, will be donated to NAMI and a local organization close to his heart, the Springfield Family Center. So far, he has raised $2675. It is not too late to make a donation under Jeremy Schaefer’s project at: www.rockethub.com To find out more about Jeremy’s adventure, go to Pretty big run facebook page.
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