Why The Push-Up Challenge This June Is Important To LGBTQIA+ Australians
When: 3–26 June 2026
Where: Australia-wide (free to register, online and in-person)
Website: thepushupchallenge.com.au
Registrations are now open for The Push-Up Challenge 2026, a free 24-day fitness event asking participants to complete 3,307 push-ups in June. Each push-up represents one of the 3,307 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2024, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The event, now in its tenth year, has raised more than $60 million for mental health services since launching in Perth in 2017.
Why this matters for the LGBTQIA+ community
The numbers are hard to ignore. ABS data from the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–22) found that almost half of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer Australians (47.8%) had experienced suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, compared with 15.3% of heterosexual Australians. For trans and gender diverse people, the picture is similarly stark, with more than one in four (28.5%) reporting lifetime suicidal thoughts compared with one in six cisgender people.
These disparities are not caused by sexuality or gender identity. They are driven by discrimination, prejudice, abuse and exclusion, according to both the ABS and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia’s National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy 2021–2026. That context makes events like The Push-Up Challenge worth showing up for.
What started with four mates
Founder Nick Hudson launched the event after his own experience with depression following open-heart surgery. What began as a fitness dare between friends has grown into one of the country’s largest mental health initiatives. In 2025 alone, more than 232,000 participants completed 328 million push-ups and raised over $12.4 million for Lifeline, headspace and the Push for Better Foundation.
“Mental health challenges will affect nearly everyone at some point in their lives,” Hudson said in a statement. “Every push-up, and every conversation about mental health, brings us one step closer to making a real difference.”
How it works
The challenge runs from 3 to 26 June, with daily push-up targets that each correspond to a mental health fact. Can’t do a standard push-up? Wall push-ups, sit-ups, squats and other alternatives all count. Participants track progress through a free app, and fundraising is optional. You can sign up solo, with friends or as a workplace, school or club team.
“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 conversation about mental health,” Hudson added.
We recommend getting your mates together for something that’s free, keeps you moving and supports mental health services is a pretty good reason to drop and give them 3,307.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24/7), text 0477 131 114, or visit lifeline.org.au. For young people aged 12–25, contact headspace at headspace.org.au.
