Brooke McIntosh doesn’t believe in barriers.

The sister of Richmond’s Kamdyn McIntosh is now over a month into her run around Australia, raising funds and awareness for mental health, breaking down the stigma in the gruelling process.

It’s a long and sometimes lonely journey, but the 29-year-old has zero regrets, especially with brother Kamdyn in tow for her latest three kilometres, before a stop into Punt Road for lunch.

She’s running around 80 kilometres a day, for six months.

That’s 14,080km in half a year.

For most, it’s an unimaginable, unachievable feat.

For Brooke, it’s just another day on the road, living every step by her mantra, ‘just one more day’.

“I live my life by it. It’s just one more step, just one more breath, just one more day and the Australia run will be accomplished, the impact will be accomplished,” she told Richmond Media.

“When I’m running 80 kilometres every day, I look at it as ‘just one more kilometre’.”

Brooke is on leg three of seven, with the run planned to end in her hometown of Pinjara, Western Australia, where she started, as she also fights to raise over $1.4 million for mental health.

But this isn’t Brooke’s first rodeo, or run.

Back in August 2023, she raised over close to $73,000 for mental health as she completed 1,600km on Western Australia’s ‘truckie route’.

At the time, when Brooke told her family of the impending challenge, brother Kamdyn almost laughed.

“When she first told us, I remember it. That was the first time I was like, ‘uh, really?’,” Kamdyn recounted.

"She was at the dinner table with us all and she said to my whole family that she was thinking about doing this big run (around WA).

“I was like, ‘geez, aren’t you better off maybe riding a pushbike or something?’.”

While there was hesitation from the 29-year-old’s brother, there wasn’t a lack of support.

Over a year later, when she brought an even bigger task to the same dinner table, Kamdyn was filled with belief.

“Then the second time came around of her saying she was going to run around Australia. There was a lot more evidence there that she’d done something similar and (had) the resilience that you have to have to run around Australia,” he said.

“I know she’s got 10,000kms left, but with the support of the family and communities, I believe she can get there.”

Brooke’s ability to power through, with aching legs, blistered feet and in any weather has left Kamdyn in awe.

But she’s still leaning on her older brother for advice to keep her believing.

“I’ve spoken to her about the learnings that she’s going to get from this. They are going to make her a better person at the end of the day. Once she’s finished it, she’s going to reflect on a lot of the moments she had during the run,” Kamdyn said.

“It will make her a better mum, a better partner, just general person.

“It’s the resilience side of things. The ability to be able to wake up every morning and just keep going.

“She’s got that mantra, ‘just one more’. I think it sings true to her. When you are in those dark times, you need something that sings true to you to fall back on.”

Brooke’s aim is to get comfortable in the uncomfortable. That extends past her run, with which she must battle her own inner demons with nothing but her legs ticking over and over again.

She wants to encourage others to do the same around their mental health. Find comfort in the uncomfortability and stigma around mental health.

“My ‘why’ is all about, just one more conversation,” Brooke said.

“No one experiences the depths of the darkness alone. Mental health is a huge thing close to my heart.

“It’s something that most Australians and everyone suffers at least once in their lifetime, or know someone who is suffering.

“For me, it’s all about being courageous enough to have just one more conversation to raise awareness and break the stigma down.”

And by the end of it all, when she crosses that finish line, she’ll become the fastest woman to ever circumnavigate Australia by foot.

It’s an achievement she won’t take lightly when the day comes.

But it’s not for her own satisfaction.

“For me, it’s the impact I’m creating. It’s the conversations I’m having. That’s the bonus, becoming the fastest female (to run around Australia),” she said.

“My family, the communities, the messages rolling through (is what inspires me). The random family travelling along the Nullarbor who just shouts out, the truckies giving us a toot.”

You can follow and support Brooke's journey here.