About us
The Push-Up Challenge is Australia's largest mental health and fitness event. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Australians take up the challenge to complete a set number of push-ups that represent the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in the most recent year of available data. We educate participants with daily mental health facts, and participants have the opportunity to fundraise for one of our chosen mental health charities.
Since 2017, The Push-Up Challenge has raised over $50 million for mental health programs and services and engaged over 700,000 people to push for better mental health.
The Push-Up Challenge is run by a passionate crew who work across Australia. We like to think of ourselves as small but mighty in our quest to raise awareness for mental health.
Together, we have raised over $50 million for mental health
Making a difference
We're aiming to educate people about mental health and the broader mental health issues faced by everyday people, as well as foster mental wellbeing and fitness.
We're proud to support charities that deliver crisis support initiatives, programs and services that help in the prevention and early intervention of depression, anxiety and suicide.
Our Impact
As Australia's largest mental health and fitness event, we're committed to creating mental health awareness and helping people level up their mental fitness.
The Push for Better Foundation
The Push-Up Challenge is delivered by The Push for Better Foundation, a charity focused on improving the mental health of all Australians through education, connection and wellbeing.
Our story
Founded by CEO Nick Hudson in Perth in 2017, The Push-Up Challenge began with four friends, some push-ups and a desire to get fit.
Following Nick’s own lived experience with depression post open-heart surgery, Nick became acutely aware how much connecting with mates through exercise had positively impacted him and how his mental health took a dive when he couldn’t.
The Push-Up Challenge quickly grew into an event that could make a difference - with a focus on encouraging conversations, raising awareness of the mental health issues affecting everyday Australians and reducing the stigma associated.
2017
In 2017, Nick and his friends decided to get in shape for summer. The challenge was set - 3,000 push-ups in a month. Keeping tabs on each other via messages and some banter thrown in, they noticed they weren't only getting fitter and stronger, but it became an easy way of staying in touch.
2018
In mid 2018, Nick experienced depression following open heart surgery. Despite a successful operation, the recovery was difficult, with Nick struggling to bring himself out of his depressed mental state. With a new focus, Nick put his heart and soul into making The Push-Up Challenge a bigger event that could make a difference – to raise awareness and funds for mental health.
2019
With nothing to do but lie in bed and rest, Nick armed himself with a laptop and phone and brought a team together to help make it happen. That year, 50,000 people joined in the challenge and the push for better mental health around Australia with $2.5M raised for mental health and participants completing over 50 million push-ups.
2020
We had 130,000 participants across Australia, banked 121 million push-ups and raised $5.1 million for mental health supporting headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
2020 was also the year we established our very own charity, The Push For Better Foundation.
2021
We brought together over 170,000 people from across Australia to push for better mental health. We are so proud to be sparking thousands of conversations and raising funds for mental health.
2022
Another big year for push-ups and mental health. Over 153,000 people joined the push for better and we cracked $10million raised for mental health. Lifeline joined us for its second year and we welcomed Movember to the push for better crew. Our Student Ambassador program was a great success and we had our first ever dollar match day thanks to Northern Star Resources. But the best part, as always, was seeing push-ups connect so many people and inspire so many conversations about mental health.
2023
2023 was a big one. There were over 215,000 legends who took on the Challenge, and together we raised over $14.6 million for mental health. Once again we welcomed Lifeline and Movember as our charity beneficiaries, and our friends at Northern Star Resources came to the party again to host not one, but two successful Dollar Match Days.
Over 30,000 teams were created in the name of connecting over push-ups. Our schools program took off, with over 30,000 schools participants and 500 Student Ambassadors on board from every state of Australia for the first time.
As a collective, we smashed out over 315 million push-ups and sparked thousands of potentially life-saving chats between mates, colleagues and family members.
2024
Over 218,000 Aussies rose to the Challenge, and smashed out 317 million push-ups together. All while raising an incredible $12.3 million for mental health and our charity partners Lifeline, headspace and The Push for Better Foundation.
Our good friends at Northern Star Resources once again generously contributed a huge $200,000 to our two Dollar Match Days.
Over 30,000 teams and 2,700 communities were created, seeing groups of mates, family, sports teams, colleagues and schools banding together around one big, sweaty goal. School participation continued rapid expansion with over 33,800 school participants from 785 schools with more than 640 Student Ambassadors taking part in our program.
We also hit one of our biggest numbers yet - 1 billion push-ups - representing the efforts of hundreds of thousands of passionate Aussies over the years.
To everyone who has smashed out a single push-up, to those who've done thousands throughout the years - we're so thankful for your efforts in pushing for better mental health for all Australians. Every push-up makes a difference.
