Sharna Lei

Sharna is taking on the 20-hour challenge to support youth mental health and raise awareness about the importance of prevention.

My Why

Hey friends, this is not a copy and paste but part of my story. Hope you take a moment to stop and read.

20 Hours of Silence for 20Talk

On September 5th, I'll be taking part in a challenge called 20 Hours for 20Talk.
Now, if you know me, you might already be laughing.
Because for 20 hours, I will be sitting in a room with 400 complete strangers, and we will not be allowed to speak. Not a single word.
No phones. No technology. No books. No conversations. No visible clock.
Just silence.
Each of us will be restricted to a 2m x 2m taped-out square on the floor. We can only leave our square to go to the toilet or refill our water bottle. We'll be given three meals throughout the challenge, and the only things we're allowed to bring are:
A camp chair
A swag or mattress, pillow and blankets
A journal and pen
A water bottle
Snacks (thank goodness snacks are allowed!)
A coffee cup
A change of clothes
That's it.
No distractions. No noise. No escaping into a book or scrolling on a screen. Just our own thoughts.
And honestly? That's exactly why this challenge matters.
Why am I doing this?
Because I've been there.
I've been the person who couldn't get out of bed.
I've been the person whose mind was so crowded with anxiety that I couldn't put together a proper sentence.
I've been the person who woke up crying and went to sleep crying.
I've been the person who thought there was something wrong with me.
The person who couldn't understand why I couldn't just "get over it" and put one foot in front of the other.
I've watched the world continue around me while I struggled just to take a decent breath.
Mental health challenges can be incredibly isolating. When you're in the middle of it, it can feel like nobody understands, nobody sees it, and nobody knows how hard you're fighting just to get through the day.
The truth is, I didn't get through it alone.
I made it to the other side because of support, because people cared, and because I had access to help when I needed it.
Recovery is possible, but it can be a long road.
That's why I'm doing this challenge.
Prevention matters
I don't just want to support people when they're already in crisis.
I want to help prevent young people from getting there in the first place.
I want people to have access to the skills, tools, education, and support they need before they find themselves in that dark hole.

That's why I'm raising money for 20Talk and their work supporting youth mental health.
So here's where you come in...
I am aiming to raise $1000 and every donation counts no matter the size.
And if you're still not convinced, just picture this:
Me. Silent. For 20 hours.
No chatting.
No random stories.
No asking questions.
No talking at all.
Honestly, that's probably worth sponsoring on its own.

"Sometimes the most powerful conversations start with silence"