Registrations for this year’s Push-Up Challenge have opened with LGBTQ+ Australians urged to sign up.
Now in its tenth year, the Push-Up Challenge is a mental and fitness event focused on better mental health for all Australians.
This year, participants will take on 3,307 push-ups over 24 days in June to remember and honour the the 3,307 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2024.
“Mental health challenges will affect nearly everyone at some point in their lives,” said founder Nick Hudson.
“So whether they’re taking part themselves or supporting someone who is, we’re calling on every Australian to get behind the Challenge, because every push-up, and every conversation about mental health, brings us one step closer to making a real difference.”
Over 1 million Australians have participated in the challenge over the years said Hudson, raising over $60M in the process.
This year funds raised will go towards Lifeline, headspace and the charity that runs the event, the Push for Better Foundation.
“With The Push For Better Foundation’s focus on mental health education, Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services, and headspace’s early intervention services for young people, we’ll work together to engage Australians in a holistic conversation about mental health.”
One of the challenge’s ambassadors is former Home and Away star Lukas Radovich, who told Gay Sydney Daily that it was his third year doing the challenge.
“The team reached out to me because they thought it was something that aligned with me and it certainly did,” he said.
“I think what is really important to me is socially relevant storytelling and I think the link between mental health and physical education is something that is really important.”
Radovich said it was a perfect fit for him because reminders about that link were needed in the community.
“I think the constant reminder is really important and it’s not just something that I think you can just do once,” he said.
“I think physical exercises needs to be an integral part of your daily routine.”
The actor said The Push-Up Challenge served as that for him in a fun and enjoyable way.
”It doesn’t have to be just push-ups, it could be any form of exercise, it’s just a lovely constant reminder.”
He has already started doing push-ups in preparation for the challenge but was happy to substitute exercises if needed.
“I break them up throughout the day but also I do admit to opt out of the push-up’s and sometimes do an alternative exercise like a sit-up or lunges because the point of it is to get the exercise done.”
Him and his husband, Liam Forcadilla, an Australian netballer with The Kelpies, both to do the challenge, but Radovich said there was a clear winner.
“I would like to say there’s a healthy competition but there is no competitions, he’s an elite athlete, there’s no way I could even compete with that,” he said.
Radovich said the challenge was a timely reminder of mental health challenges faced by Aussies, particularly with the number of push-ups rising each year.
Last year’s challenge participants had to complete 3,214 push-ups, while this year it is 3,307.
“It’s quite alarming and it shows that we still need to continue to support these mental health organisations that do really important work,” he said.
There was an added layer to it for the LGBTQ+ community which is disproportionately impacted by suicide.
ABS Data from 2024 found 47.8% of LGB+ had experienced suicidal thoughts, compared to just 15.3% of heterosexual people.
While 79.6% of non-binary people had experienced suicidal thoughts and 28% of trans Australians had too.
“I think this sort of challenge is a positive way to connect with others and talk about these things and create a positive relationship with exercise,” said Radovich.
The Push-Up Challenge 2026 is a free event, and will run from 3 to 26 June with registrations open now.
