They’ve made the long Nepean River their training zone all year and are raring to go.
Several dads from Torwood Street in Warrimoo in the Mountains have banded together to train for an arduous four-day, 153 km paddle along the Macquarie River to raise money and awareness of the black dog - depression.
And when they start the event this Thursday, they will have one person in mind, ex St Mary's Senior High School and Blaxland High School student, Clair Settree.
Three years ago, when she was 16, she tried to take her own life. The street got behind the family, rallying with home-made dinners, conversations and general support.
"It's humbling that they are doing this to break down the stigma," Miss Settree said.
"The last two-and-a-half years have been intense, being in and out of hospital. The doctors just put it down to the chemical imbalance, there were no external triggers," she said.
The event WOMDOMNOM stands for Wellington on Macquarie, Dubbo on Macquarie, Narromine on Macquarie and has 104 starters this year.
"We paddle from Wellington to Narromine. It's very tiring,” Dad, Lindsay Settree, said. “We've really built up and four days will be a real effort but we're determined to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute and research."
"This is for Claire and people like her," he added, before leaving on the trip with neighbours Bill Joannou, Vince Spisso (pictured) and Claire’s 22-year-old brother Toby today.
While another three Torwood Street men have been part of the training regime - regularly doing the 36km seven-hour return trip to Warragamba wall starting at the Nepean River boat ramp - not all have been able to get time off for the event.
"We're a close group of neighbours, it's just really about supporting Lindsay and [wife] Nikki … anything we can do for them, a hot meal or conversation, said Bill Joannou.
"And it's been a great journey for us, we've got to know each other a lot better," added Vince Spisso, who has been chief trainer.
The men said kayaking on the Nepean had revealed a river of riches.
"The Nepean is grossly underrated ... We've seen eagles, osprey, turtles, bearded dragons, the wildlife is amazing." Miss Settree said having battled the worst of it, and on medication to survive the biggest lows, she's keen to change people's perceptions of mental illness. Go to womdomnom2015.everydayhero.com/au/lindsay.