Cam Cooney: The Bilbo Baggins adventure
Cam Cooney: The Bilbo Baggins adventure
A Mo Bro since 2021, Cam Cooney is a long-time advocate for men’s health. Cam’s legendary Movember challenges, including the ever-patient 60-hour blind meditation, send positive messages about mental health. We caught up with Cam to hear the meaning behind his 2023 challenge – named “MO-END”.
My goal in 2023 was to create conversations & show just how supported we truly are when we’re struggling.
Sadly, in 2021, I lost my big cousin, Seamus, to suicide. He was a down to earth and happy guy. When he died, it took the whole family and wider community by surprise. Nobody knew he’d been down.
I know if Seamus had reached out, he’d still be here today. So many people would have helped him if they knew he was struggling. Family, friends, teammates, colleagues, neighbours – even strangers.
By taking on MO-END, I wanted to show that there are so many people around the world willing to help if you reach out and ask. Even strangers who don’t know you.
So what is MO-END?
I set myself the target of going from Lands' End, to John O’Groats, in seven days, relying purely on stranger’s help to get me there. I couldn’t buy myself any form of travel or accommodation. I needed strangers to help me with it all. To make things harder, each stranger could only help me with 60-miles of transport at a time.
Looking on a map, with a little detour to MO HQ London, it should’ve taken me roughly 12-16 strangers to help get me there… But in the end, it took over 39 people and I got there in six days!
The kindness of strangers
I slept in stranger’s houses who took me in without any hesitation. I hitch hiked with a bus full of nurses. I got lifts from strangers on the pavement. There were people who couldn’t help with travel or accommodation, but they still took a moment to listen to what I had to say or offered encouragement. All these people helped me in more ways than they’ll ever know.
MO-END was a ‘Bilbo-Baggins-esque' adventure that took me across the whole UK and created more conversations than I could ever have hoped for.
Turning six days into a legacy
So many strangers shared their story and offered help; my face was sore from smiling, laughing, and even crying with these strangers who offered support without even questioning my legitimacy. They’re the heroes of MO-END.
My goal with MO-END was to show that when you’re struggling, there will always be people there to help you go from what may feel like your ‘END’ to the very top again.
