QEII Pharmacy is prescribing push-ups for mental health this month, as a dedicated team of four pharmacists take on The Push-Up Challenge.
Running from 4-26 June, the challenge calls participating individuals and teams across Australia to complete 3,214 push-ups in 23 days while fundraising for mental health, with each push-up representing a life lost to suicide in Australia annually*.
Pushing for top spot on the leaderboard are Pharmacists Peter Ford, Shamuel Rahman and Stuart Pilot, alongside Team Leader Robyn Lloyd.
Beyond the obvious physical gains, Assistant Director of Pharmacy Peter Ford says the challenge raises the all-too important conversation about mental health and the stigma associated with reaching out for help.
“Young men are at high-risk of mental health issues and the stats show that 75 per cent of lives lost to suicide in Australia are male. Our team can speak from personal experience of losing friends to this tragedy so this challenge, and the goal of 3,214 push-ups, feels personal to us.
“We’re all fortunate to have supportive family, friends and a positive work environment to be part of, but we know not everyone has that, so it’s great to be a part of this challenge and help raise awareness,” he said.
Don’t be passive, let’s get massive for mental health! is the team’s motto, emphasising the importance of taking proactive action towards a healthier body and mind.
“It's very noticeable how much easier the push-ups are getting and how much bigger the chest and arms are getting in the department. It's great that we have something that promotes a bit of physical wellbeing as well as mental wellbeing,” said Peter.
Shoutout to the whole team for pushing for better mental health!
Donations can be made to the team online.
*Based on 2023 data (most recent data available at time of publishing).