Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Inspiring Story Behind Bailey’s 14-Month Hike

Meet Bailey Seamer, the once-upon-a-time ‘non-hiker’, who walked 5,500km along the East Coast of Australia, raising $90,000 for the Black Dog Institute and shining a spotlight on mental health with every step.

The 14-month ‘Wandering Minds Walk‘ was an antidote to Bailey’s own mental health struggles, and proof that anyone can be a trailblazer, even in the toughest of circumstances.

‘I never imagined I would walk 5,500km up the East Coast,’ says Bailey. ‘Yet I walked through three states, took nine million steps, and walked for a total of 432 days.’

Diagnosed with bipolar at 19, it was during a hospital stay that her love affair with walking began. Before that, Bailey wasn’t much of a hiker. Like many Aussies, she’d spent time enjoying the bush growing up, but hiking-wise, an hour’s walk with the dog was about it.

‘I woke up one day and walked 30km from a mental health hospital to home,’ she explains. ‘It was my Forest Gump moment, and from there walking and nature became a really important and cathartic part of my healing journey.’

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Struggling with the effects of depression, Bailey needed something to focus on and to give her hope and purpose for the future. Driven by a desire to help others as well as herself, she had the idea of walking the east coast of Australia.

‘It was constant self-bullying, slowly wearing me down, like a drop of water eroding a stone over time. I was also meeting all these other beautiful young kids in hospital who didn’t deserve the cards they were dealt. I realised – all this pain and suffering had to mean something.’

Let the Adventure Begin

Starting on the 16th of May 2022 from South Point, Victoria, the southernmost point of mainland Australia, Bailey trekked 5,500km to Cape York, the country’s northernmost point in Queensland.

How much she enjoyed the simplicity of the days was a constant surprise. Wake up, hike, eat, plan where to sleep, repeat. It gave her time to slow down and notice the beauty in the small moments, something she’d not been able to do for years.

‘I had countless beautiful moments, like being on a deserted beach at sunrise, sipping bad instant coffee, watching a pod of dolphins go by, feeling overwhelmed with joy and gratitude,’ she says. ‘Being out on the trail, and just walking, felt like home.’

Along the way, Bailey stopped and gave talks at schools and community centres alongside more informal meets at pubs and cafes, sharing her story and encouraging conversations.

‘The people who would show up were driven by different desires, sometimes a love of the outdoors and an interest in the hike, other times, mental health,’ she says. ‘I would say to them, everyone is here for a reason but now you know that there are people around you that are like-minded.’

Read more: Nature Based Adventure Therapy is Helping People Heal

You Can’t Have Light Without Dark

There’s no doubt that, with every step, Bailey was leaving a wake of inspiration behind her. But she still had her dark moments.

‘I remember one day near Townsville I delivered three talks in one day, and that night I just started crying,’ she remembers. ‘I thought; I’m a hypocrite, I’m not practising all the things I’m talking to these kids about. But I thought if I stopped the hike, I’d be letting people down.’

Bailey finally chose to pause and get herself the help she needed. And it turned out the support from the thousands of followers she’d attracted online and in person, was overwhelming.

‘I recognised that I had to lose the battle to win the war,’ says Bailey. ‘I used my support network to get the help I needed and, honestly, the support I had from all over the globe was absolutely gorgeous. Then, when I got back on the road, everyone was really jacked up about it.’

Acknowledging that it wasn’t all plain sailing is important, and in many ways, a huge part of what makes Bailey a trailblazer. Because, even in the darkest of times, she found the strength, courage, and bravery to carry on with something that most people – even those without a mental illness – would never even consider.

‘There were so many times I wanted to quit, but I think that’s a natural thing to want when something hurts or is uncomfortable,’ says Bailey.

When Bailey finally got to the little sign that signalled the end of the hike, she broke down in tears.

‘I was so, so overwhelmed with relief, pride, and gratitude, because it wasn’t just me that got me there,’ she says. ‘There was so much support and help. So many people have dreams, but to pursue one, to achieve it, is a different thing entirely.’

The Hike Might Be Over, but a Love of Movement Continues

Now the hike is complete, movement continues to be an important part of Bailey’s life. She continues to hike, both short and long distances. ‘Unconsciously moving switches off the negative narrative in my head and forces me to be present,’ she says. ‘Movement saved my life in a way.’

But it’s not just the movement that brings Bailey inner peace and joy, but the connection to nature that it facilitates.

‘I like that nature makes me feel small,’ says Bailey. ‘I think in life we tend to think as humans, that maybe our problems are big and we’re really big, but when you’re out in nature, it’s a reminder of just how little we are. For me, that’s a very humbling and grounding feeling.’

It’s not just a love of hiking and movement that has continued, even though the hike has finished – but Bailey’s lasting, and ongoing, legacy as an inspiration to others.

‘Trailblazing isn’t necessarily just about glory and about accomplishment. It’s about showing others what’s possible,’ Bailey says.

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Bailey a couple of times now, and each time I’m left in awe of a woman who still – despite everything – doesn’t seem to grasp the profound impact she has on others. Perhaps, hidden amongst her humbleness, she’s finally starting to realise.

Read more: Meet Curvy Sam, the Hiker Championing Inclusivity in the Outdoors

Photos thanks to @ben.savage