Andrew Furber

Why am I challenging myself?

This year I am taking on The Push-Up Challenge – completing 3,307 push-ups across 24 days to honour the 3,307 Australians lost to suicide in 2024.

In my own life, I have experienced periods where life has felt overshadowed by that dark cloud – stress, pressure, self-doubt, emotional exhaustion, and the quiet battles that people often carry without speaking about them openly. I know what it feels like when your mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing begin affecting one another in ways that can slowly wear you down and I know the feelings and thoughts that present themselves in our darkest moments.

One thing I have learned through my own experiences is how directly physical health impacts mental wellbeing. Movement, routine, discipline, exercise, purpose, and pushing yourself forward – even when you do not feel like it – can become anchors during difficult periods.

We are not meant to carry these things alone and I think sadly, too many people are ashamed or uncomfortable to ask for help.

That is why this challenge is important to me, because happiness can be found in the darkest of places, if only someone remembers to turn on the light – and for me, physical health is that switch, to build and strength resilience, to show us that we are stronger than we may think and that is why this is not just about push-ups, but rather about encouraging honest and frank conversations, raising awareness, supporting people who may be struggling silently, and helping raise funds for services and initiatives that provide real mental health support across Australia.

If you able to support the cause, I would sincerely appreciate a donation to my page. Every contribution, regardless of the amount helps fund critical mental health programs and pushes the conversation further into the open where it belongs.

#PushForBetter