{"id":59695,"date":"2025-07-12T13:43:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/59695\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T13:43:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:43:26","slug":"mitch-power-quick-shear-event-gets-men-talking-about-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/59695\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitch Power Quick Shear event gets men talking about mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\"><strong>Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Leigh Hickey is well versed in the demands of working as a shearer in rural Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The isolation of remote work and the entrenched culture of masculinity and toughness are among challenges workers face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;If you&#8217;re having a bad day, you don&#8217;t bring that to work,&#8221; Mr Hickey said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Even though you&#8217;re in there with a room full of people, it can be a very lonely day when you&#8217;re here, lost with eight hours of your own thoughts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man during sunset, herding sheep. \" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/75526bd8cf02f4e3ff33a3291a0fc7ce\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Leigh Hickey has been a shearer for 10 years. (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Raised in rural NSW, Mr Hickey began shearing after leaving school and soon formed a close friendship with fellow worker Mitchell Power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;You wanted to go to work every day so you could hang out with your best mate,&#8221; Mr Hickey said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;He was one of those sorts of people that it didn&#8217;t matter where he went, he made friends.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">However, Mr Power&#8217;s friends and family in his hometown of Bombala, in the NSW Snowy Mountains, were unaware he was struggling with his mental health.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">There was shock and immense grief when Mr Power took his own life in December 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">He was only 22 years old.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A young man smiling at the camera while surrounded by long grass.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/230284f83bbaa2887d3b324bc9ad927c\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Mitchell Power had wanted to be a shearer since he was a young boy. (Supplied)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s not a day that goes by where it feels like there isn&#8217;t an empty space,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  Mr Hickey said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;It never gets easier to deal with.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If you or anyone you know needs help:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU\">\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Suicide Call Back Service<\/a> on 1300 659 467<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lifeline.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lifeline<\/a> on 13 11 14<\/li>\n<li>Aboriginal &amp; Torres Strait Islander crisis support line <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.13yarn.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">13YARN<\/a>\u00a0on 13 92 76<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.kidshelp.com.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kids Helpline<\/a> on 1800 551 800<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondblue.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Beyond Blue<\/a> on 1300 224 636<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/headspace.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Headspace<\/a> on 1800 650 890<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/au.reachout.com\/\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/externallink\/10971516\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ReachOut<\/a> at <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/au.reachout.com\/\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/externallink\/10971516\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">au.reachout.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mensline.org.au\/Home.html\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MensLine Australia<\/a> on 1300 789 978<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/qlife.org.au\/\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">QLife 1800 184 527<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Suicide rates are higher in remote Australia than in the rest of the population, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">SafeWork NSW has attributed financial pressures and isolation as potential factors contributing to the higher rates of depression within farming industries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Mr Power&#8217;s mother, Tracy Power, said men were under additional pressure to be &#8220;strong&#8221;, which could make them feel they had to face mental health problems privately.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know whether Mitch didn&#8217;t feel like he wanted to burden anyone, but it&#8217;s not a burden. You&#8217;ve got to speak up,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  she said.<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman sitting on a chair in a grassy backyard, holding a cup of tea. \" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/8aca54f6d64f5a22af1059bc8394e189\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Tracy Power hopes talking about her son&#8217;s story will encourage others to speak up. (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p>Quick shear competition<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Ms Power never set out to become a mental health spokesperson, but she was determined to keep her son&#8217;s memory alive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The first annual Mitch Power Quick Shear event was held in 2022 to celebrate his birthday, drawing in shearers from across the country to compete during the biting winter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;It&#8217;s just amazing. It is a very comforting day, but it&#8217;s exhausting \u2026 sometimes you wish you weren&#8217;t doing it because you remember the reason why you are doing it,&#8221; Ms Power said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man shearing a sheep. \" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7c1bd959b56c1c873cd35efd6416727f\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Competitors come from across the country to compete in the Mitch Power Quick Shear event. (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">On par with sweaty speed-shearing and community energy, is the endeavour to remove the taboo around mental health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;If one person takes something out of it and it saves one person&#8217;s life on that particular day from that event, then that&#8217;s one family that&#8217;s happy,&#8221; Ms Power said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a situation that can touch anybody at any time. We just need to get it out there that it&#8217;s OK to open up.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The &#8216;shed family&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">The Mitch Power Quick Shear event also raises money for much-needed mental health support in the Snowy Mountains region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;When Mitch passed \u2014 not that we were looking for it at the time \u2014 but there was nothing for young men around,&#8221; Ms Power said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman sitting in an empty room with brick walls.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/d2e9aa7c09bc8b21c5f3a80434459dba\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Dubbo local Carol Mudford started mental health and suicide prevention charity sHedway in 2023.\u00a0 (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Mental health advocate Carol Mudford is trying to fill that support gap, in Bombala and across rural Australia, with the not-for-profit suicide charity sHedway.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">sHedway volunteers work to educate shearers on how to locate and make calls to support services, and how to notice signs that they or their colleagues may be struggling.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;Our goal is to see everyone working in the shearing sheds looking after their mental health as well as a shearer will look after their shearing gear,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  Ms Mudford said.<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The legs of two kids climbing over metal gates. \" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0e9f35329d785d3d821141b023355417\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">The event attracts people of all ages.\u00a0 (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">She said remote work in the shearing industry made it difficult to access support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;We work casually, we work long hours and often a long way from town,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Ms Mudford said the charity had volunteers across the country, but she wanted to see more support services in rural Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;People are ready and wanting to talk \u2026 and are ready to engage with the services. We really do need the services to be there [to] meet this need,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Loading&#8230;A changing culture\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Bombala locals have hosted mental health talk nights and are working on keeping the conversation front of mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;There&#8217;s definitely more awareness, and I think they [the community] are slowly starting to open up,&#8221; Ms Power said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A lady's hand going through a photo album with pictures of a small child. \" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/6ddd05b136cd97f8186e57026898406f\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Mitch Power pictured as a child.\u00a0 (ABC Landline: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Mr Hickey said he had noticed a changing culture across his decade of shearing, but the work was far from over.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;Unfortunately, the ones that are normally lost are the ones that don&#8217;t say anything,&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>  Mr Hickey said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;You don&#8217;t know until it&#8217;s too late.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;If I can stop one more person from dying, then I&#8217;ve done something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\"><strong>Watch ABC TV&#8217;s Landline at 12:30pm AEST on Sunday or stream any time on <\/strong><a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/iview.abc.net.au\/show\/landline\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>ABC iview<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide. Leigh Hickey is well versed in the demands of working as&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":59696,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[43369,12833,210,43372,517,43368,43371,43375,43374,714,43373,43370,43376,1197,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-59695","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-carol-mudford","9":"tag-farming","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-leigh-hickey","12":"tag-mental-health","13":"tag-mitch-power-quick-shear","14":"tag-mitchell-power","15":"tag-nsw-snowy-mountains","16":"tag-quick-shear","17":"tag-rural","18":"tag-shearing","19":"tag-shedway","20":"tag-snowy-mountains","21":"tag-suicide","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114840561514472914","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}