After a serious motorcycle accident in January, Mike King says the incident helped remind him the importance of advocating for mental health.
King, who was crowned New Zealander of the Year last year, came off his motorcycle after riding over an oil slick north of Paeroa in Waikato, breaking nine ribs, his scapula, his collarbone and puncturing his lung.
He spent time in hospital after the accident but is now out.
"Nothing like a near death experience to remind you of what's important in life and for me what's important right now is caring for our kids," King told TVNZ 1's Breakfast today.
His initiative, Gumboot Friday, which aims to provide free counselling sessions to children has raised approximately $1.3 million.
Kings says counselling is a proactive way to help children's mental health.
"In this country we fund crisis ... our kids are going to counsellors not because they are unwell, they go to counselling to stay well."
King says his next target is rural communities, helping to address the growing issue of farmers' mental wellbeing. He will be touring the country in a fleet of tractors, visiting towns to help raise awareness of mental health.
King also bit back at allegations that surfaced last year that he had been unable to pay counsellors after the Gumboot Friday campaign ran out of funds.
"Not one counsellor who had approved funding was left unpaid, every single counsellor who was approved got paid."
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