Family and friends gathered on Saturday for the moving memorial of a father-of-two who recently took his own life.
Fitness fanatic Trent Dance, 34, was laid to rest at his funeral on Friday, with 20 people also attending a separate memorial at Brisbane‘s Shiloh Church in Redbank Plains.
Mr Dance was open about his mental health struggles, but tragically lost his battle with depression on October 11.
His heartbroken girlfriend Samara Thorpe was among the mourners in Redbank Plains.
Mourners at Saturday’s memorial service for Trent Dance, who took his own life on October 11, including his girlfriend Samara Thorpe (pictured, right)
Samara Thorpe (pictured left) and Trent Dance (right) bonded over a mutual love of music star Eminem
The moving memorial service was staged at the Shiloh Church (pictured) in Brisbane’s Redbank Plains
The only clue to Mr Dance’s rapidly deteriorating mental state came too late – a chilling Instagram post a day before his death which detailed his struggles with depression and lack of motivation.
‘For him, it got to a stage where he finally had enough and couldn’t take it any more,’ a devastated Ms Thorpe previously told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He had a sickness that took him.’
Mr Dance had a son, 16, and daughter, 12 from a previous relationship and was a step-dad figure to Ms Thorpe’s young children aged four and five.
‘He loved the gym, his kids, friends and family,’ she said.
‘He worked in a factory, which he wanted to get out of and was studying to become a remedial therapist. He also wanted to train and coach other power lifters.’
The couple met at a local bar earlier this year and instantly connected over a mutual love for rapper Eminem.
‘We were both coming out of bad relationships at the time,’ she said.
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‘He was a big, manly looking man but so gentle and caring at the time.’
Ms Thorpe found her partner’s lifeless body after she returned home from a night out with friends.
The memorial service paid tribute to Trent Dance, who was an avid power lifter and father of two (pictured, his girlfriend Ms Thorpe, left, being supported by a friend)
Trent Dance was well liked in his local community in Brisbane and often spoke about his mental health demons (pictured, friends and family arriving at the memorial service on Saturday)
Saturday saw a memorial held for Trent Dance, who tragically lost his battle with depression recently (pictured, a loved one arriving at the church)
Plenty of mourners made their way to the Shiloh Church at Redbank Plains in Brisbane on Saturday (pictured above)
Trent Dance was remembered at his memorial after tragically taking his own life earlier this month (pictured, family arriving on Saturday at a Brisbane church)
‘If I had known he was in such a dark place, I would have never gone out,’ she said.
‘I never saw the warning signs but after going through the last messages he sent, the signs were there.’
A few days after his death, Ms Thorpe and his best mate decided to organise a fundraiser at the World Gym Ipswich on November 20, three days after what would have been Mr Dance’s 35th birthday.
Ms Thorpe said she wants to make sure Mr Dance’s story is not a lost cause and possibly help other people in a similar position.
The event will raise funds for Livin’, a local mental health charity Mr Dance was a passionate supporter of prior to his passing.
At the World Gym in Ipswich next month, members of the power lifting community Mr Dance was part of will lift as much as they can, with $1 raised for each kilogram lifted.
‘To those struggling with depression, I want them to know there are people who really care and that there is always help out there,’ Ms Thorpe told Daily Mail Australia.
For confidential support call Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au or Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636.
Source: Daily Mail
