DuncanDOES: A Journey of Purpose and Passion

Hey there, fellow adventurers! Today, we’re diving into the remarkable journey of Duncan Roberts, a man on a mission to make every moment count and every challenge an opportunity for change. So, buckle up and get ready to be inspired!

Meet Duncan Roberts:

My name is Duncan Roberts, 39 years young and born and raised in Scone in the Hunter Valley. I pay the bills by working as a Marketing Manager but I’d say my true occupation is now as a Fundraising Adventurer. Job titles are such a small part of who we really are though and society places far too much emphasis on them. I’d rather know what lights someone up, what they do for fun, what means the most in their worlds. 

The Birth of DuncanDOES:

I came up with the concept of DuncanDOES 2 years ago when I had the realisation that there is more to life than just working pay-cheque to pay-cheque. We only have one roll of the dice here on earth and I thought “I want to live a life with real purpose, with positive impact, and a life tied to one hell of a story to tell the grandkids!”

So last year I set off on Challenge #1 – DuncanDOES… ICELAND. Where I solo longboarded close to 1400 km the entire distance around Iceland.  Becoming the 5th person to ever do so and raising funds and awareness for Sea Shepherd Australia and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Whilst also campaigning against the barbaric whaling hunts in Iceland. 

The Next Chapter: DuncanDOES the SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS:

Off the back of a successful challenge #1 – I am now here, one year on about to embark on Challenge #2 – DuncanDOES… the SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.  Where, I will be attempting to swim across the deep, dark, frigid waters of the LOCH NESS (3km in 6-degree water) and then climbing BEN NEVIS (the highest mountain peak in the UK) all in one day. For this challenge, I have partnered up with LIVIN. 

Why LIVIN:

I wanted to support a local charity that is doing great work in the mental health space but more specifically at a school level. I think it’s super important that kids understand that they are never alone if they are struggling and that there are an abundance of support organisations out there. The kids of today have a huge amount of societal pressure bearing down on them with this instantaneous world of social media and technology. So I believe that getting this support to them is vital. 

I also went to uni with one of the founders, Sam Webb and knew how much this organisation and the message it shared meant to him. 

Why is supporting mental health awareness important to you personally:

Life can often feel like a fragile dance of emotions. Portions of your life may be full of joy, and achievement and feel like you are in some sort of flow state, and other times you may feel like you are in a dark hole trying to claw your way out. Just getting through the day can be a struggle. I personally have felt this rollercoaster of emotions. It can feel very isolating and lonely. You don’t want to appear weak or broken to the people around you. It can often feel like no one understands what you are experiencing and hence you just keep it to yourself and potentially isolate yourself even further. 

In a roundabout way, I liken mental health to the Loch Ness. It may appear calm on the surface but underneath could lurk a monster wreaking havoc. For this reason, it made sense to have partnered up with LIVIN for this particular challenge. To show that it is okay to talk about what is going on under the surface. “It ain’t weak to speak”.

The sooner we as a society learn to embrace each other with open arms, support each other and realise that mental health struggles do not only harm on an individual level but harm us as a collective. We are one and one for all. Once this light bulb goes off the world will build towards peace, harmony and oneness. Anyway, that is my hippie rant! Haha. 

Words of Wisdom:

Seek out the one person you trust the most, the person who is a rock in your life and speak about your struggles. I know this can be daunting, but you’d be surprised at how many people are struggling out there and how common this is. Your true friends are always going to want to look after your welfare at the end of the day, just as you would for them. And if you’d rather not speak to family or friends then reach out to one of the many support organisations out there. You’d be surprised at how much better you will feel once you realize that the heavy weight of anxiety/depression is not only yours to carry and that people/organisations are here to help prop you up and get you back on your feet again.

How can people support/donate to your initiative:

The main place to follow along is my Instagram @skatingforchange or Facebook, YouTube.

You can donate directly here or you can donate via my IG or my Website or Patreon