In the aftermath of the tragic death of Darren Sutherland, the boxer's former girlfriend Hazel O'Sullivan wants to raise awareness about the national suicide helpline.

Hazel (20) has just returned from Bulgaria, where she has been staying for over a month to recover after the shocking death of the Olympic boxer.

"It helped, but the things that happened are still there. I came back to Ireland and it hasn't gone away," she said.

"It was a build up of a lot of things. I've never really lost anyone close to me."

Darren (27), who won bronze for Ireland at the 2008 Games in Beijing, was found dead at his flat in London in September.

"It was just a shock, it was like a bad dream," Hazel said. "It was so unexpected and it stays with you.

"Anyone who met him knew that there was something extra special about him.

"To a certain degree I always think what if I could have done more, if I had gone that extra weekend to see him. But no one is to blame. No one knows what happened."

Hazel wants to put her efforts in to fundraise for a positive cause, 1Life national suicide helpline, which offers confidential advice and support.

"Because of what happened, I wanted to highlight something that was especially close to my heart," she said.

"I have a lot of friends who have experienced something similar. Everyone has their bad days but, at the end of the day, sometimes all you need is someone to talk to.

"I just want to put my hand up and put some work into helping out," she added.

Hazel, who originally comes from Wexford, now lives in Dublin and is hoping to return to modelling soon.

But although she has huge family support, she is acutely aware of the pressures of the industry and of celebrity.

"My family are all over the place, I'm in Dublin on my own, but I do have good people around," she said. "When I go home, I find myself blocking myself off from the world.

"I never intended to go into modelling. From the outside, it's all glamorous," she explained. "But when I moved up from Wexford I only really saw the inside.

"I saw the drink, the drugs, the players and I really learned really quickly. I was so vulnerable but I am a lot less vulnerable now."

The 1Life suicide helpline charity lunch will be held on December 3, 12pm, at Venu Brasserie, South Anne's Lane, Dublin 2. Tickets cost €75.

clairemurphy@herald.ie

- Claire Murphy