The Dirty Dozen Project: Tackling mental health stigma one Everest at a time

POSTED ON February 11, 2025 @ 5:30 pm

Mental health struggles are often invisible, especially in high-pressure industries like sports turf management. Long hours, physical labor, and relentless expectations take a toll. Yet many suffer in silence, fearing stigma and judgment.

Few know this better than Nigel Taylor, a golf course superintendent and sports turf manager with nearly 30 years of experience across the USA, England, Barbados, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia.

Now based in Malaysia with Sports Turf Solutions, Taylor has battled depression and burnout firsthand. Instead of staying silent, he’s turning his pain into purpose—through cycling.

A Challenge for Change

Taylor has set himself a brutal challenge: to complete an Everest every month in 2025.

For those unfamiliar, “Everesting” is one of cycling’s toughest endurance feats. That means riding up and down a hill until the total elevation gain equals Mount Everest—8,848 meters (29,029 feet). No extended breaks. No shortcuts. Just pure, relentless effort.

Completing one Everest is a milestone for any cyclist. Taylor is attempting twelve. Not for fame or records, but to spark a conversation about mental health in an industry that rarely talks about it.

From Rock Bottom to the Bike

By 2024, burnout had pushed Taylor to his lowest point. The job that once fueled him had become overwhelming. The stress, exhaustion, and loneliness weighed heavily.

He turned to cycling—not just as a form of escape, but as a way to fight back. What started as a personal challenge soon evolved into something bigger. What if he could use his journey to help others who felt just as lost?

That’s how the Dirty Dozen Project was born.

No Fundraising, Just Awareness

Taylor isn’t asking for money. He’s asking for awareness.

He’s calling on turf professionals, suppliers, manufacturers and facility managers to help spread the message. These workers—who keep golf courses pristine, stadium fields perfect, and public parks playable—are often overlooked. Their mental health, even more so.

“If you work in this industry, you know how isolating and exhausting it can be,” Taylor says. “It’s time we acknowledge that and support each other.”

The Challenge Begins

On January 1, 2025, while most were celebrating the new year, Taylor took on his first Everest. It was brutal. It was lonely. But that was exactly the point.

Each ride is solo and self-supported—a stark reminder of how depression can feel. His next Everest is set for February 14.

For Taylor, these rides are more than just an athletic test. They symbolize the long, grinding battle of mental illness—and the strength it takes to push forward.

Breaking the Silence on Mental Health

The Dirty Dozen Project isn’t about extreme cycling; it’s about breaking the silence.

It’s about making it okay for sports turf professionals to admit they’re struggling.

It’s about challenging the stigma, especially among men who often stay silent.

It’s about proving that no one has to fight alone.

If just one person each month sees his challenge and decides to seek help, Taylor considers it a success.

A Global Issue, A Local Conversation

Mental health isn’t just a sports turf industry issue. It’s a global problem—one that men, in particular, often ignore.

Taylor hopes his campaign will encourage more open conversations, not just in turf management, but in any profession where long hours and high expectations wear people down.

A Call to Action

Taylor isn’t looking for donations. He’s looking for voices.

He wants individuals and companies to help spread the message and create a culture where mental health is taken seriously. The sports turf industry is demanding, but the people behind it shouldn’t have to suffer in silence.

With 100,000 meters of climbing ahead, Taylor’s journey will be grueling. But it’s about more than just endurance.

It’s about showing that there’s always a way forward.