Warning: This story references mental health issues and suicide. Please take care. 

A 29-year-old endurance runner from Auckland has become the first person to run and hike the length of New Zealand and back on the Te Araroa trail. 

Stefan Ozich set out on October 1, 2024 to raise awareness and funds for men’s mental health through a Givealittle page for the charity The Last Chance Project. 

For Ozich, it’s personal — he lost his brother and a close friend to suicide in recent years. 

Speaking to the Herald, he said it felt “surreal” to have achieved his goal. 

“Relieved, grateful and very, very overwhelmed ... it was definitely an emotional explosion, let’s put it that way,” he said of reaching the lighthouse at Cape Reinga on January 22, where family and friends were waiting to meet him. 

“But also just thinking about Jerome and just knowing that he’s not there. But he was there, in a way. And I’ve done it, bro.” 

Ozich has previously completed Ironman, half Ironman and 100-mile ultramarathons, but crossing this finish line was “the most relieved I’ve ever felt,” he said. 

Looking back at his journey, he said there were moments he thought he couldn’t go another step — from battling unrelenting headwinds while heading north to thinking he was going to die in the Tararua Ranges before he was helicoptered out. 

“The rain was bearing down, freezing cold, and that was one low moment where I did not want to be there. I thought I was gone. I was, literally, having those flashback moments of life and what matters to me.” 

Now, his plans for recovery include plenty of sleep, good food, massage therapy and contrast therapy using saunas and ice baths, as well as more movement to prevent his muscles from seizing up. 

And he’s already looking ahead to his next challenge, with one race coming up in March and more planned for later in the year. 

Rather than feel proud of what he’s achieved, he feels “grateful”. 

“I’m honoured to have been able to represent my brother and Jordan in this way - it’s just such an overwhelming feeling to know that I was able to follow through and finish.” 

Though at the time of writing he had hit just $222,867 of his $1m fundraising goal, Ozich was awed by the generosity of those who donated. 

“It’s amazing. It goes to show that when people care for something that’s bigger than them, they give what they can and that’s all I ask of them.” 

Stefan Ozich has run the length of the Te Araroa trail twice to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health. Photo / Supplied 

For Ozich, the goal wasn’t just to raise money but to start conversations around mental health. 

“[Now] we can talk about where to from here — what can we do? What action can we take? 

“The next step to me is huge, because, yeah, talking is good — but we need to actually take this step and do something with it.” 

Speaking to the Herald last September, a month before he was due to begin the challenge, Ozich said that when it came to mental health, “I think there’s this confusion and misconception that men develop because we’re actually more sensitive than we like to believe”. 

“This is where the Last Chance Project comes in — we can foster that and allow that in a safe environment where other men are feeling the same way, and it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s okay to have these emotions, feelings, thoughts and it’s all good, and I’ve got something to offer, and this is a valuable thing’.” 

About men’s mental health in New Zealand 

In New Zealand, men are more than twice as likely to take their own lives as women, according to the Ministry of Health, and are less likely to ask for help with their mental health, according to the Mental Health Foundation. 

Men can struggle to recognise their own symptoms of depression as it can present differently than in women. It can manifest as fatigue, restlessness, feelings of isolation, difficulty sleeping, or changes in appetite and weight. 

A family history of depression, health or relationship problems, work or financial stress, and major life changes can all be factors. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with their mental health, talk to your GP and reach out to your friends and family for help. 

The Last Chance Project aims to offer mental health help and support to men of all ages, in personal, school or workplace settings. You can find out more here. 

Where to get help:
• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• 0800 Anxiety Helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY). This service is confidential and free of charge. Open 24/7.
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.