Jake Litchfield Airey

I'm living fearlessly this September. Will you support me?

I’ve signed up for the Live Fearless Challenge this September — partly because it’s a great cause, and partly because I need a solid reason to drag myself outside and start running again. Nothing like public accountability (and donations) to keep you honest.

IBD (Crohn’s and colitis) affects almost 180,000 Australians. It’s one of those conditions you don’t often hear about because the symptoms are invisible most of the time. But behind the scenes, it can completely disrupt a person’s life — constant pain, fatigue, endless hospital trips, and a daily battle most of us never see.

And it’s not just the physical side. The mental health toll is huge. Living with something that unpredictable and exhausting can be isolating. People can lose confidence, struggle with relationships, or feel like careers, hobbies and everyday opportunities have been taken away. Despite all of this, IBD remains one of the most underfunded chronic conditions in Australia.

That’s why I’m aiming to complete 150km this September. Every kilometre is for the thousands of people living with IBD who face these challenges in silence. The money raised goes towards research, support services, education and advocacy — things that help provide better care, more mental health support, and make sure people with IBD don’t have to manage it all on their own.

So for me, this challenge is twofold: raise money for a massively underfunded cause, and give myself a proper kick to get back into running. If you chip in a few dollars, you’ll be helping a lot of people — and you’ll also make it much harder for me to weasel out of those kilometres.

Cheers for the support.