Why would four adults drive, cycle and run around Tortola on a hot day wearing diapers? To show solidarity for children suffering from mental illness, staff from Intertrust BVI explained on Saturday shortly after the group competed for nearly six hours in the Incredible Race, a series of challenges held as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The costume paid off, helping the group of four colleagues win the grand prize, which included a cruise for four, gift certificates to spas, and a sailing trip for 12.
InterTrust and two other groups — Defiance and Savages — participated in the race, which required them to compete in activities including cycling, archery, cooking, kite-flying and a stint with a pony at Countryside Adventures.
Many of the tasks were designed to give participants a sense of the challenges faced by people with mental illnesses, according to Dr. Virginia Rubaine, director of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centre.
“It is not an optimal condition but they have to make it work, and that is what life is like for our clients,” Dr. Rubaine said of the hot conditions in which the teams competed. “Just for a few hours, one time per year, we want to give the community an opportunity to see what it’s like working with a handicap or a challenge and how that may affect how we feel and how we behave.”
Though mental illnesses can be a struggle, they are not a death sentence, the psychologist explained.
“We want people to understand and know that living with mental illness doesn’t mean life is over,” she said. “You could still have fun and function to the best of your ability with the skills and support that you have.”
See the May 26, 2016 edition for full coverage.
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