Inspiring young Laois man to skydive to raise awareness about mental health

An inspiring young man from Laois is taking the plunge for mental health soon with Skydive For Life. 

Darragh Lyons from Ballyfin has set up a fundraiser ahead of the skydive which aims to raise critical funds for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland. Within just days of being created, the target of €600 is halfway there.

Darragh set up the fundraiser on 3 January and the community has since rallied their support for the cause. 

Speaking to Leinster Express / Laois Live, the Ballyfin man expressed his gratitude for the support so far, saying: "It's only been a few days so I'm very thankful that it's filling up quickly and I'm sure I'll get there eventually."

Determined to achieve the goal, Darragh said that if it is met he is adamant to continue to raise awareness about mental health which is so close to his heart.

In 2024, the Ballyfin hurler opened up about his own struggles with mental health and his journey to overcome the difficulties he has faced throughout his life.

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Darragh emphasised that mental health impacts everyone and now that he is more comfortable with being open about his own experiences, he hopes to give back to the supports that were available to him during tough times in his life. 

He said: "I've always been very open about my own journey and my struggles. It was always on my mind to do a little bit more. In the New Year, I wanted to do something different. I was opening up my own journey and now I wanted to raise a bit of money and get the word out again and also try something cool as well."

Darragh explained that when it comes to mental health, the right balance has to be struck between talking openly about it and respecting it as a serious issue. He said that he was quite private about his own experiences for a long time until he became more comfortable and had come out the other side of things. 

Now, Darragh is eager to spread the word about the importance of mental health. The Skydive for Life is the first time Darragh has attempted such a challenge in his pursuit of raising awareness. 

He told Leinster Express / Laois Live: "This is the first time I've been proactive about it which I think is a nice thing that I'm more comfortable now and I can give back to services that helped me."

When asked if he was nervous about the big jump, Darragh laughed: "I haven't thought about it at all. I think that's probably the best way to be! It's one of those things where if you don't proactively decide you're going to do it, then you'll never do it."

If you'd like to support Darragh with his Skydive for Life, you can visit the website here. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly towards Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland.