Racing Finke for mental health awareness

The Tatts Finke Desert Race has a well-earned reputation as Australia’s greatest desert race. Racing Finke is challenging. It’s fast, rough, unforgiving, and it can be dangerous but also incredibly rewarding, which makes it a great metaphor for life. There’s nothing easy about it, but nothing worth-while in life comes easy. Just ask Jackie Peacock.

Don’t be fooled by the demure façade or the cute name, Jackie Peacock is a beast on a dirt bike. The Victorian off-road racer has competed in a number of tough events, including the Hattah Desert Race, but this June long weekend, Peacock will compete in her first Finke.

Not only will Peacock stare down the biggest and baddest event on the Australian dirt bike racing calendar, she’ll be knocking down some walls raising awareness for mental health and raising funds for the Beyond Blue organization.

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“I’ve been thinking about doing a fund raiser for mental health and awareness, and I’d been thinking about doing Finke for years. I ummed and ahhed about it and after my race entry to Finke was confirmed I thought, bugger it and the two ambitions just came together.”

Peacock is no stranger to fund raising, having raised over $11,000 for the McGrath Foundation when she first took on the Hattah Desert Race back in 2016 after her mother had breast cancer.

“I’ve had a bit of a battle with mental health over the years and this fundraiser for Beyond Blue has proven a lot of people have, with how many reached out to me after I announced my Finke for Mental Health fundraiser. There’s still a stigma around mental health and if my efforts at Finke help people talk about it or feel less alone, then I am happy with that. I also hope it helps people who don’t suffer with mental health issues understand a bit more. I used to be one of those people. I didn’t understand how people didn’t cope with mental health, but at the same time, I was struggling, I just didn’t realize.

“Finke is the perfect platform for me to do this for mental health because people might see me as a tough person because I ride motorbikes. And yeah, I can be mentally tough when I am racing and ride for hours on end and not give up, but then there are times in life when I struggle. I have a great life and am reasonably happy most of the time so people might not see me as having a battle with mental health.”

Peacock usually rides a Beta RR 200 but will ride a Beta RR 300 at Finke. The extra horsepower will be put to good use on the 230km track from Alice Springs to Apatula on the Finke River. The return leg back to Alice Springs the following day often proves more difficult with rider fatigue and brutal track conditions.

With 650 riders competing, Peacock has no expectations of claiming a set result, she’s more focused on enjoying the race and reaching the finish line to collect the famous Finke railway dog spike finisher’s trophy.

“I just want to be fit enough to enjoy the race. I don’t have any expectations on specific results, I’m just making sure I am fit and don’t hurt myself. All I know is that I just want to finish and get that dog spike at the end.”

The Tatts Finke Desert Race is on in Alice Springs, NT from June 12-14, 2021. You can stay up-to date with all Finke news at www.finkedesertrace.com.au.

Anyone interested in donating to Jackie Peacock’s Finke for Mental Health fundraiser can do so HERE.

Peacock initially set a goal of raising $5,000 but donations surpassed that in just 24-hours after the fundraiser was announced. The current tally is over $11,000 and counting.