Guy Johnstone, 43, and fellow Winton firey Steve Turton, 48, will set off from Bluff on Monday, intending to walk five full marathons in five days, finishing in Queenstown next Friday.
To add to the challenge, they’ll complete the mission in full firefighting kit, including breathing apparatus.
Mr Johnstone said the pair, who had been with the Winton brigade 25 years and five years, respectively, were not strangers to physical challenges for charities.
"We’ve done a couple of the 28-hour treadmill challenges, for blood cancer and leukaemia, and we were kind of thinking of something else we could do.
"Steve always wanted to do something for I Am Hope, so we thought, ‘why don’t we walk to Queenstown?’
"I must admit, we were sober when we decided that — the first 28-hour challenge we [decided on], we were hammered, but we followed through with it," he said with a laugh.
As to why they picked the mental health charity, Mr Johnstone said everyone knew someone who had battled with mental health, while many had battled with their own.
To prepare, they had been trying to walk about 8km a day — they each did 25km in their full kits, which equated to about 25kg extra weight, over the weekend, he said.
They were now hoping the unsettled weather which normally arrived in time for next week’s Tour of Southland bike race, would likely pass them by.
"[The kit’s] not very breathable; it’s quite warm,"Mr Johnstone said.
"We are being sensible about it — we’re going to walk for two hours, 10km, roughly, and then we’ll have a 10-to-15-minute break, have a stretch, something to eat, and then we’ll carry on.
"It’s not a race, we’ve just got to make it."
They would start each day at 6am and hoped to complete the daily 42.2km grind within nine hours, bedding down at various fire stations along the way.
They’re being supported by Invercargill’s Traffic Management Services owners, Kieran and Lara Simpson, who’ve also taken care of the traffic management plans, and will drive the pilot vehicle.
Southland entertainment provider ‘Num Nuts’ will also attach speakers to his car and accompany the pair, blaring music as they pass through towns to draw people and encourage donations.
Others joining them on part of the walk include Southland District mayor Rob Scott, who adjusted his calendar next Tuesday to take part, patient advocate Melissa Vining and Queenstown and Frankton fire brigade members.
While they did not have a specific fundraising target, they would like to raise enough to cover the cost of counselling for 50 of the 76 daily children’s calls to the free hotline — which worked out roughly at $6300.
Along with collection buckets dotted along their route, the pair have also set up a Givealittle page
