Ultra cyclist Jack Thompson’s feat to raise awareness of mental health

In 2022, Australian endurance athlete Jack Thompson will ride 1 million meters of elevation – two and a half times the height of the International Space Station to raise €1 million (~USD 1.1 million) for four worldwide charities. StrongMinds has been selected as one of the beneficiaries of this fundraiser.

Jack will cycle up the equivalent of 52 Mt. Everests—one per week—throughout 2022. But this feat alone will only take him halfway to the space station. To reach his goal, Jack’s 52 “Everests” will be supplemented by an average of 2,068m elevation gain per day. He will allow himself only 52 days of rest.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health while creating new barriers to accessing treatment. During the pandemic, 4 in 10 adults in the US reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders, up from 1 in 10 in 2019, a 30% increase in mental health-related illness over two years.

Jack’s aim in embarking on this incredible mission is to drive awareness for mental health within the cycling world and the corporate workplace and support those in need from recent humanitarian disasters.

Jack’s Challenge began on January 1, 2022. As of this posting, he has already completed 13 Everest climbs. His mission is accompanied by a series of events, training sessions, and speaking engagements to encourage others to get involved in his quest for more inclusion and awareness of those experiencing mental illness.

Click here to learn how you can join Jack’s team.

About Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson is a professional Australian athlete who, in recent years, has set the standard for and explored the boundaries of ultra cycling. Hence, he goes by the name Jack UltraCyclist. Through his incredible cycling endeavors and numerous world records and firsts, Jack has used his platform as a professional sportsperson to raise awareness for mental health.