Ben Pettingill is running 9 kilometres every day this year to raise money for blue-collar counselling service, ‘This Is A Conversation Starter’ (TIACS). The 29-year-old struggled with his own mental health after he lost 98 per cent of his vision due to a rare condition called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Mr Pettingill, who encourages people to join him on his runs, aims to finish his fundraiser on New Year's Eve.