The thought of bungy jumping is a terrifying prospect for lots of people; imagine doing it naked and it gets even scarier. But, at least this time, it’s all for a good cause: the seventh annual Naked Bungy Jump for the Victoria branch of the BC Schizophrenia Society is sure to be a powerful weekend.
This two-day event will give people of all backgrounds an opportunity to bare it all in the name of the struggle those who experience mental illness face, as well as encourage a dialogue about stigma and the importance of community involvement.
“This event is a great way for a message of courage and inspiration to reach the greater community,” says executive director of the Victoria branch of the BC Schizophrenia Society Hazel Meredith.
Stephanie Lekei is a featured jumper at this year’s event, and she has an important story behind why she is returning to jump after participating last year. Lekei’s brother struggled with schizophrenia and died by suicide at the age of 23. He will no doubt be in Lekei’s mind as she takes a meaningful leap in his memory. And while she was scared to jump last year, she did it anyway, because she knew that the fear of bungy jumping pales compared to the fear of having schizophrenia.
“I was terrified of propelling myself off of a 150-foot ledge attached to a string,” says Lekei about last year’s dive, “but I knew the fear and pain I was experiencing was nothing near as painful and scary and schizophrenia.”
And while holding a naked bungy jump event might sound like a gimmick, it’s far from it: Lekei says that when she was up there last year and everyone was naked at the same time, it wasn’t strange to be naked anymore. And, she says, that’s exactly how it should be about mental illness.
“If we all talked about it, it wouldn’t be weird,” she says about mental illness. “No taboos or insecurities, it would just be okay. It is okay; too many people just don’t know it yet. Being naked is a vulnerable position, and flinging yourself off a bridge is moderately risky and that is where that fear and uneasiness should stay. No one should ever have to fight terror over telling someone about their struggles for fear of being shunned.”
The funds raised at the event will benefit people in need of support who face mental illness as an everyday reality.
“1 in 100 people have schizophrenia,” says Meredith, who adds that the event will have 200 jumpers, “and recovery is possible, but it takes a whole community.”
Naked Bungy Jump
Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9
WildPlay Element Parks, Nanaimo
bcssvictoria.ca