TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Florida State University's Deputy Chief of Police, Jim Russell, is taking a two-day 200-mile bike ride from Tallahassee to Panama City and back June 11 and 12.
The bike ride is an effort to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Russell began the Unconquered Ride in order to encourage those who suffer from mental illness to get help and support from their families, employers, and community members.
He is diagnosed with major depressive disorder and says public safety professionals too often do not seek treatment or support for mental illness.
"If someone you know has a mental illness, if you have an employee saying 'I need help' or 'I'm dealing with this affliction,' it is important for you to keep your faith in them, keep supporting them, and don't write them off or push them aside because they are as capable of any accomplishment as anybody else," Russell said.
He says his ability to make the 200-mile ride demonstrates that someone with mental illness is capable of anything with the right support.
Russell is personally funding the ride and will travel unsupported, with no crew or escort.
Along the way, Russell will use Twitter to provide progress updates.
His ride schedule is as follows:
THURSDAY, JUNE 11
•Russell departs at 8 a.m. EDT from FSU Police Department, 830 W. Jefferson St., Tallahassee.
•Estimated arrival time is 3 p.m. CDT at the FSU Panama City campus police station.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
•Russell departs at 8 a.m. CDT from the FSU Panama City campus police station.
•Estimated arrival time is 5 p.m. EDT at the FSU Police Department in Tallahassee.
