A Risdon Vale veteran who has survived multiple suicide attempts will climb 73 Tasmanian peaks in a year, using each summit to honour one of the 73 Australian defence force veterans who died by suicide in 2023.
Kendal Burke, a 32-year-old former Royal Australian Navy sailor, hopes the challenge will raise money and awareness for defence force veteran suicide prevention.
She will begin the challenge on September 20, exactly eight years after her medical discharge from the defence force.
Burke said each of the 73 peaks represents one of the 73 veterans who took their own lives in 2023.
Burke joined the Navy straight out of school and served for almost seven years before sustaining multiple permanent injuries while deployed on HMAS Anzac in the South China Sea in 2016.
She said the stigma around mental health in the military stopped her from speaking up.
“Obviously when we’re in service, there’s an extreme stigma to keep your mouth quiet about anything that you suffer mentally, unless you want to ruin your career,” she said.
Burke said injured personnel were sidelined and sometimes forgotten before being discharged.
Burke said too many veterans continued to take their own lives after leaving the defence force.
“There’s talk about it, but in my eyes … there’s not enough action,” she said.
All 73 hikes will be single-day return trips due to Burke’s injuries.
She plans to finish the challenge atop Mount Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak, completing the 42-kilometre return hike.
Burke said she intended to tackle most peaks solo as a chance to reflect, though friends had offered to join her on tougher climbs such as Mount Eliza.
She is working with RSL Tasmania to identify the most appropriate charity to receive the funds and has also reached out to the Black Dog Institute about its program which supports veterans directly.
Burke said losing her career left her without purpose for years.
“I’ve spent years bouncing between jobs trying to find something that’s suitable because that uniform and that lifestyle … was everything for me,” she said.
“It was what defined me as an individual. It gave me a greater purpose.”
“There were people out there that I’d never met ever, but I was willing to give the ultimate sacrifice if it meant keeping my country safe.”
“The battle doesn’t end just because we come home.”
Donations can be made via GoFundMe by searching 73 Peaks in 52 Weeks.
