Mr Simpson, alongside others, will traverse the terrain from shire to shire across five days — and wants as many people as possible to lace up and join him on the monster march.
The 65-year-old Kyabram local was diagnosed with dementia back in 2018, and is encouraging the public to share the load in the hope of normalising conversation about the condition.
“A lot of people out there go to their GP but won’t take it any further,” he said.
“With the walk, we are just trying to break down that stigma and are there to support the people who are a bit afraid to take it any further.”
Kicking off at 7.30 am on November 9, Cobram Lions will host breakfast for those in attendance at Federation Park, Cobram.
Talks from Dementia Australia representatives as well as from Mr Simpson will follow, before the first day's trek from Cobram to Strathmerton.
The walking pack will chip away at the 100 km journey each day until reaching Kyabram on November 13 — and Mr Simpson jokingly said “it would be helpful if someone could bring a wheelchair down on Friday to roll me home.”
But while he jokes, his own story is no laughing matter.
In 2018 Mr Simpson was stranded in his truck in Wakool, with no idea where was, where he’d come from or where he was going.
With his phone and GPS back at home, he felt totally lost, suddenly bereft of the safeguards he’d relied on to function for the previous six months — and which had given him the excuse to ignore the frightening symptoms that had started creeping in, gradually erasing his memories one by one.
Forced to retire due to his condition, Mr Simpson believes the dementia conversation cannot be delayed any further — and that’s non-negotiable.
“There are around 460,000 people in Australia diagnosed with dementia. We want to say to people, ‘listen, you’re not alone’,” he said.
“We are getting to the stage now that we have to talk about it.
“They are saying by 2050 there will be one million people diagnosed with dementia across Australia — it’s time to start breaking the ice on the subject.”
One aspect of dementia Mr Simpson wants to convey is that it doesn’t discriminate, and he hopes a big turnout on November 9 will help diminish the stigma attached to it.
“There is a big multicultural presence in Cobram, and this disease doesn’t just attack Aussies,” he said.
“There are also a lot of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s being diagnosed — it is not just an old person’s disease.
“We are hoping people will come down and support us, and have asked for businesses to support us with a few dollars in the tin.
“Everyone is welcome to join us on the walk, even if it’s only for half a kilometre.”
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