ROAMING FEATURE
B
orn in Sydney, Merrin grew up in the inner west suburb of Sydenham until his teens, when his family moved to Wollongong. When he was 14, he weighed 110kg and was the recipient of bullying and constant teasing. At one point, he was not able to buy a school uniform that would fit him. This is something Merrin has never forgotten. “Everyone has their own hurdles in life. Experiencing what I did as a kid taught me how to overcome a problem and push through. I couldn’t do it by myself though; my parents helped me a lot. I was lucky that I had their support, I know not everyone has that,” said Merrin. Having the support of his family helped Merrin find the tools he needed to set and achieve goals. It also helped him find ways to cope with the pressure and criticism that comes with life and with playing professional rugby league. Merrin has gone on to achieve many of his goals. He debuted in the NRL in May 2009 for the St George Illawarra Dragons, coincidentally, against the Penrith Panthers. In 2010, he won a Premiership with the Dragons. In 2011, Merrin first represented New South Wales and to date he has played in 13 Origin matches. In 2015, he first pulled on the green and gold jersey and in 2016 he helped Australia claim the Four Nations title, scoring a try in the final. Merrin joined the Penrith Panthers in 2016. During this season, his leadership qualities were evident, both on and off the field and he was awarded the 2016 Merv Cartwright Medal. In 2017, he was recognised as the Penrith Panthers Clubman of the Year. For those who do not have a strong family support system and may be going through hard times, knowing where to go to get help can be a huge problem. According to the National Mental Health Commission, many issues that go on to develop into mental health problems in adolescence and adulthood can be identified, prevented and managed if help is received in childhood. The importance of knowing where to get help can improve adult mental health. Merrin, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Psychology, says he is very concerned about the high rate of youth mental health and youth suicide in Australia. “Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged between five and 17 years old. That’s a horrific statistic that needs to change,” said Merrin.
Suicide stems from mental illness and one in five Australians will experience mental illness or a problem linked to mental health in their lifetime. Alarmingly, only one in four will receive professional help. “Young people don’t know where to get help for mental illness because it’s not a topic that we talk about often. I want to help change that,” Merrin said. To shine a light on where to get help, Merrin has designed a social media challenge entitled #moveoutofyourhead. The challenge encourages the community to film themselves doing a dance, upload it to their social media and then challenge a friend to do the same. Those who do not want to dance are encouraged to donate to Kids Helpline.
I really hope that this message, which is so important to me, can help change someone’s life for the better.
When Merrin needs to move out of his head, he finds dancing useful. His unique dancing style has become recognised after a number of post-game shed videos went viral on social media.
of anxiety, depression and clinical disorders. As well as those who feel bullied, alone, stressed, scared or who are struggling with pressure, sexuality, relationships, divorce, rivalry and abuse. Self-harm and youth suicide are also critical issues for young people today.
“I’m quite fond of doing a little dance to celebrate winning a game. I also love to dance when I need to move the energy from my head, down to my body. So I think this challenge is the perfect way to get this vital message across in a fun, interactive way,” said Merrin.
In the past year, 23 per cent of calls to Kids Helpline were regarding mental health, 18 per cent were about family relationships, 17 per cent about emotional wellbeing, 13 per cent were suicide-related, and 13 per cent were about dating and partner relationships.
The challenge has the support of Kids Helpline, which is Australia’s only free and confidential 24/7 phone, web chat or email counselling service for those aged five to 25. They provide a safe house for youth to call if they want professional help and advice.
“I really hope that this message, which is so important to me, can help change someone’s life for the better. I think this challenge is a fun way to help others. Just film yourself doing a dance, upload it to your social media using #moveoutofyourhead and challenge your friends to do the same," Merrin added.
Since it started 26 years ago, Kids Helpline has received over 7.5 million contacts from those needing help. Contact can be made with Kids Helpline by phone, email or web chat. For some young people, connecting with Kids Helpline has been a life-saving experience, while for others it is about practical help and emotional support at the critical moment they need someone to listen. The purpose of the helpline is to ensure young people know they are not alone. Kids Helpline CEO Tracy Adams said, “We work hard to put services in place to support those needing help, but this is an issue for the whole community. It’s great to see projects like ‘#moveoutofyourhead’ getting behind this issue, encouraging young people to speak up and get help when they need it”. Young Australians experiencing many challenges contact Kids Helpline. These challenges may include feelings
GET INVOLVED Take a video of yourself doing a dance, the sillier the better (grab a friend if you prefer) Upload it to social media Challenge a friend to do the same and tag #moveoutofyourhead and @trentmerrin Issue 15 April 2018
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