Brooke loved FIFO work, but then the nasty sexual comments started. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, a shocking accident changed her life

A former FIFO worker has told how the sector destroyed her mental health, before a serious car accident changed her life for the better.

Brooke McIntosh was just 22 when she followed in her mother’s footsteps and entered the FIFO industry as a trading assistant in mines in Western Australia.

For the next seven years, she was hired to drive trucks and help build mining sites.

While Ms. McIntosh enjoyed her high salary and the workplace jokes, she began to become increasingly bothered by the constant sexist comments and long hours.

She began to experience suicidal thoughts, especially as she tried to cope with the isolation after losing a close friend.

Mrs McIntosh said she was lucky to have been given time to think about her future while she was in hospital recovering from a car accident.

“I thought, ‘Why am I wasting my life working in an environment I don’t enjoy when I could be doing something else that has more impact?’” she told Daily Mail Australia.

The 28-year-old business coach and mentor is calling on Australians to help her run a 14,000km circuit of Australia to raise money for mental health care.

Former FIFO worker turned runner Brooke McIntosh (pictured) has revealed how the mining industry reduced her to her lowest level

Ms McIntosh (left) worked in the industry with her mother for seven years before the sexist workplace culture and gruelling hours led her to consider suicide

Ms McIntosh said the widespread sexism in the industry was one of the main reasons for her decision to leave.

“There were always one or two guys who would take things to the next level and make you feel uncomfortable,” she said.

‘(They) made extremely inappropriate comments or made sexist comments, they humiliated you and belittled you.’

She remembers being whistled at by a colleague when she had to reverse a truck. He shouted: ‘I want to see what else you can put in reverse.’

“What’s the point of that? Putting sex into things that don’t have to be that way,” Ms. McIntosh said.

“I’m all for chit chat and I’m all for jokes. But when it comes to derogatory or sexual comments, it’s a no.”

She added that the sexist comments made her feel like a “piece of meat” and she felt afraid to speak out about the behavior because she was one of the only women at the location.

“It’s a male-dominated workplace, so if you can’t handle it, don’t be in it. Or if you are in it, just accept it,” she said.

She decided to leave the industry and undertake massive multi-day running competitions to raise money for mental health after a serious car accident in hospital left her questioning her future (pictured)

She had loved running since she was 12, but the long hours on location made it ‘unsustainable’ for her to continue training, which always helped her mental health.

“My lifestyle at the time was like this: wake up at three in the morning, go to the gym for an hour and a half, get ready for work, go to work for thirteen hours, come home, train again and do it all over again,” she said.

‘I just felt isolated, alone. I was going through a lot.

‘One of my friends had committed suicide… and when I got home, I was unhappy. I couldn’t find the light and I considered committing suicide.’

Despite being at her lowest point, Mrs McIntosh was shaken awake by a serious car accident with a truck travelling at 100mph while she was off site.

“When I was in the hospital, I realized I didn’t want to leave this earth. I just wanted the pain to stop,” she said.

This realisation led to Ms McIntosh leaving FIFO to become an independent business coach and in July last year running over 1600km from Pilbara to Perth to raise $75,000 for The Blue Tree Project and 20Talk.

Ms McIntosh now plans to run around 80km a day for an estimated 180 days to complete a full lap around Australia in a bid to raise a whopping $1.4 million for charity.

Ms McIntosh said she chose this route to raise awareness for her male FIFO colleagues in the Pilbara who were also struggling with their mental health.

“It was the best challenge of my life. It was tough, but it was the best thing I ever did,” she said.

After crossing the finish line in Perth and running a marathon the following week, Ms McIntosh had already started making plans for her next running race.

“Why am I stopping now? I am so happy, I am living with a purpose, I am creating impact, inspiring and saving people’s lives,” she said.

With the help of her running coach, she is now preparing to run about 80 km a day for 180 days from March, thus completing a lap around the country.

The event, Just one morehopes to raise a record $1.4 million for the Blue Tree Project.

Despite now living a life ‘with purpose’, Mrs McIntosh says there are still days when she misses FIFO work, especially truck driving.

“I encourage everyone to give FIFO a try, including women,” she said.

“But I also prepare them for what it’s really like: You have to have strong skin, stand up for yourself and call out bullshit.”

Lifeline 13 11 14

Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467