The sense of community support and pride was palpable yesterday as Glen Thurston finished 53 consecutive days hiking Corner Peak, above Lake Hawea.
The feat was reflective of the average annual number of suicide deaths in the construction industry over the past five years.
The climb was made daily by Mr Thurston from December 1.
He was joined by more than 325 people during that time, a mixture of locals and some who travelled from Christchurch and Timaru.
Mr Thurston said the reality of completing the campaign had not fully sunk in.
"I think I’ll have to sleep on it for a night to really digest it all, but it’s been pretty overwhelming, the support.
The community had certainly jumped on board and it had had a huge impact locally, he said.
"The conversations we’ve had on the hill have been hours and hours and hours of conversation ... Some days you start talking and don’t stop until you get off the hill.
"I couldn’t have that conversation in a cafe ... The whole approach for me was there’s a lot of good people doing great things in businesses — my approach was to try and get ... on to the ground floor where it’s happening, where people are struggling," Mr Thurston said.
It had been humbling seeing how many tradies had jumped in and showed how many people were struggling, he said.
On the challenging days, Mr Thurston said he utilised the same mindset he had when he was struggling mentally.
"It’s just like you’ve got to get up and do it.
"For me, personally, I didn’t find it a mental struggle. I just got into that zone and so many people would know what I’m talking about," he said.
He also took the opportunity to spread his father’s ashes at the summit.
"My dad passed away in March last year, just after I had launched this campaign.
"At the age of 50, dad started his battle with depression which at that time was certainly not talked about. I look back now and can only imagine how hard his battle must have been for him. Dad passed peacefully at the age of 80, after a 30-year struggle," he said.
His hope was for people to realise they did not need to battle in silence and that they were not on their own, he said.
An event to celebrate the achievement will be held at the Lake Hawea Hotel next weekend.
Mr Thurston will be joined by guest speakers Matt Chisholm, MATES in Construction chief executive Victoria McArthur and musician Jodi Direen from 5.30pm.
