Help me in supporting Project HEAL for Cocodona 2026! In May of 2026, I will be taking on the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon, a renowned 250-mile footrace across Arizona’s deserts, mountains, and valleys with over 50,000 feet of elevation gain. While this is no doubt a sizeable feat, I’m taking on this challenge to raise awareness and funds for a personal issue that has affected both me and my family deeply and isn’t discussed enough: men’s mental health and eating disorders .
Approximately 1 in 5 men experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, yet men are less likely to seek treatment compared to women (40% vs 52%, respectively). (NIMH, 2022; NAMI, 2023).
Within mental illness, 1 in 4 people with an eating disorder are male , despite the stereotype that these illnesses primarily affect women (US Pharmacist, 2018; APA, 2023).
Among endurance athletes, the risk for an eating disorder risk is especially pronounced: male endurance athletes are 10x more likely to develop clinical or subclinical eating disorders (9% vs 0.9%) (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2021, National Institute of Mental health NIH).
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for men under 45, with 90% of those who die by suicide having a diagnosable mental disorder (Medical News Today, 2023; KFF, 2023; WHO, 2021).
Eating disorders are among the deadliest of mental health conditions , with those suffering from anorexia up to 18x more likely to die by suicide and those with bulimia 7x more likely, causing roughly one death every 52 minutes (ANAD, 2023).
On December 18, 2024, my oldest brother Alex died by suicide after losing his battle against mental illness coupled with devastating eating disorders. He left behind his wife, two parents, and three brothers.
Alex was larger than life. He could always make you laugh with his self-deprecating humor and was renowned for his bushy mustache. Alex spent 6 years in the special naval forces as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) officer, while also pursuing his passion for adventure and completing extreme feats of endurance across the country. Whether he was biking 700+ miles in a weekend from Phoenix to Salt Lake City, climbing the equivalent of Mt. Everest on a 90-foot tower in Guam, breaking the unofficial 100 km world record on the ski erg, or winning semi-professional cycling races in Texas, it appeared to all there was nothing that Alex could not accomplish. While he appeared to be excelling across all fronts, he was silently fighting an unseen battle that many male endurance athletes face. In May 2024, Alex attempted Cocodona 250 but was unable to finish due largely to his intense struggles with eating disorders, despite an amazing effort.
To honor his memory, his adventurous spirit, and to help spread awareness regarding eating disorders and mental health hardships that so many of today’s men and women face, my brother Kyle and I will be attempting to finish what Alex started: the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon.
We hope to bring awareness to the important issues of mental health and eating disorders in men. Alex consistently voiced how he aspired to overcome his struggles with mental health and ultimately help others who were struggling with eating disorders. In this way, we hope that our Cocodona journey can help spread Alex's story and further the work that he hoped to one day accomplish.
In this spirit, we have selected Project HEAL as the charity for our fundraising efforts . Project HEAL offers comprehensive support for individuals struggling with eating disorders including case management to help navigate care systems, cash assistance to help cover deductibles/copays/out-of-pocket costs, meal support, and free access to partnered treatment programs. In 2024 alone, Project Heal enabled 196 individuals to receive free treatment through these programs, offering lifesaving care these patients otherwise wouldn't have accessed.
One such partnered treatment program is the Emily Program , an in-patient and virtual eating disorder treatment clinic that offers specialist treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, OSFED, and ARFID, among others. Alex often spoke of seeking help through this program and was personally planning to enroll prior to his death.
Our goal is to raise $6,000 which will fund a full treatment cycle for two individuals. If you are able, please consider donating to this worthy cause and any additional eating disorder or mental health programs which may be local to you.
Double Your Donation Today! Does your company have a gift-matching program? Check with your HR department to see if your company matches employee gifts. If they do, take advantage of this opportunity to double your contribution today!
Please note that matching gifts must be received 2 weeks prior to the race day to be counted towards your fundraising goal. Donations must also have the athlete’s name associated with the donation so we can allocate funds accordingly.
All donations to Project HEAL are tax deductible as allowed by law. Project HEAL's tax ID (EIN) is #26-2614278.
Offline Payment Instructions
If you would like to donate to this fundraiser offline please follow the directions below to ensure it supports their charity bib.
**Please note all mailed checks, matching gifts, or donor directed funds must be made out to Wander Project. Once we receive them they will be added to their fundraiser for this designated charity. Please include the first and last name of the fundraiser you are supporting so we can ensure your donation is matched to the correct person.
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Wander Project is a U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the furthest extent of the law. Tax ID 83-1778644
