Wānaka resident and mental health campaigner Glen Thurston has been recognised in the 2024 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards as a Local Hero Medalist.

The award acknowledges Glen’s efforts to raise awareness about mental health in the construction industry and beyond. 

“When I started Turn The Corner [Glen’s campaign brand] I never in my wildest dreams thought it was going to have such an impact on so many people for so many different reasons,” Glen said.

“What an absolute honour.”

In 2022 the local builder set out to climb Lake Hāwea’s Corner Peak 53 times - matching the number of people in the construction industry who take their lives each year. 

The medal Glen received.

What Glen didn’t expect was that close to 300 people would join him across the 53 climbs, and that it would spur ongoing conversations, a documentary, and a range of mental health advocacy opportunities that have changed lives.

Glen said he was grateful for the support of so many people in the Wānaka community who he said have played a crucial role.

“It might take one person to stand up and get the wheels turning but to keep those wheels turning it takes a community,” he said.

“The culture that surrounds mental health doesn’t change just because one person says it should; it changes by doing and as a community that’s what we have all done.”

KiwiBank said the 100 Local Hero Medallists had been selected from an “overwhelming” number of nominations.

Glen stood out - climbing Corner Peak was a “monumental effort”, organisers said, and his continued work to raise awareness are having a “significant impact”.

“Glen's words have resonated deeply with local organisations, schools, and workplaces, fostering a culture of understanding and support.”

Glen is currently in the process of launching his next campaign, MentalHunts, to help break barriers in mental health within the hunting community.

He lives in Wānaka with his wife Jen and their three children.

Related:

Family ‘stoked’ with home ownership.

Public invited to anniversary climb for mental health.

The Outlet: Advocating for mental health in the construction industry.

PHOTO: Glen Thurston