For some, the Falmouth Road Race is a race; for others, it’s a platform for raising awareness and fostering change. For Mckenna Hollosi, this year’s race is a deeply personal journey. As a psychiatric nurse and suicide loss survivor, Mckenna is running with #TeamSamaritans to support suicide prevention, a cause that has shaped her life and career.
Inspiration Behind the Cause
Mckenna’s commitment to suicide prevention stems from profound personal loss. In 2010, when she was just 12 years old, her father died by suicide. “Hearing that my dad, who was not just my father, but my best friend, was gone forever was incomprehensible to my tween-age brain,” Mckenna recalls. This tragic event triggered a lifelong struggle with grief and anxiety, challenges she continues to face every day.
Through her work as a psychiatric nurse and her personal experiences, Mckenna has seen the devastating impact of suicide on individuals, families, and communities. Because of this, choosing suicide prevention as her cause was an easy decision. “I want to raise funds and awareness because the more it is talked about, the more likely people are to seek help for themselves or others,” she explains. By fostering open conversations about suicide and mental health, Mckenna hopes to help people escape the isolation that prevents them from seeking the support and resources they need.
Training and Preparation
Mckenna’s preparation for the race involves both physical and mental training. Physically, she follows a training plan through the ASICS app, which helps her stay accountable and track her progress. “I’ve been prioritizing proper stretching before and after each run to reduce the risk of injury,” she notes. Despite her busy schedule, she ensures she is ready for all weather conditions by running in heat, humidity, wind, and rain.
Mentally, training has been a surprising source of relief and motivation. “I’ve been able to utilize running as a stress relief activity instead of something I ‘have to do,'” she shares. The cause she supports drives her motivation, making each step a tribute to her father and a step towards raising awareness. Mckenna balances her training with other activities like walking her dog, kayaking, skimboarding, yoga, and dancing (privately, she says!) to keep the experience enjoyable. Her Taylor Swift running playlist keeps her energized throughout.
Fundraising Journey
Mckenna has received positive responses and encouragement from the community, family, and friends. However, she acknowledges the challenge of standing out in a sea of online donation requests. To address this, Mckenna plans to implement unique fundraising ideas beyond social media posts. Balancing these efforts with a full-time job and other life changes presents its own set of challenges, but she is encouraged by the outpouring of support she has received thus far.
Impact and Awareness
Through her participation in the Falmouth Road Race, Mckenna hopes to destigmatize mental health struggles and encourage open discussions about suicide prevention. “Suicide and mental health struggles remain highly stigmatized topics,” she says. This stigma often leads to isolation, shame, and anxiety among those who suffer. Mckenna’s goal is to foster an environment where mental health can be openly discussed without fear of judgment.
The funds raised will support The Samaritans on Cape Cod & the Islands, aiding our efforts to provide and promote access to mental health and suicide prevention resources. Increased funding can enhance mental health research, develop better assistance programs, and equip mental health professionals with more tools to help those in need.
A Message to Readers
Mckenna urges readers to take action against the public health issue of suicide. “The more we have an open conversation about suicide and mental health, the less the stigma will be, and the more willing people may be to find and connect to helpful resources,” she asserts. While she cannot undo the past to bring back her father, Mckenna is dedicated to preventing others from seeing suicide as their only option. By normalizing the act of seeking help and discussing mental health honestly, she believes we can bring light to those navigating through darkness.
In running the Falmouth Road Race, Mckenna Hollosi is not just running for herself; she is running for her father, for those lost to suicide, and for the countless individuals who continue to fight their battles every day. If you’d like to support Mckenna in her fundraising efforts, please visit her fundraising page. Every contribution brings us one step closer to preventing suicide and saving lives.
Check out the full #TeamSamaritans at https://capesamaritans.org/falmouth-road-race/.