“LOL, YOU LOVE me? You been hacked?”
I quickly explained to my brother that no, I hadn’t been hacked. And that my text was truthful, though, I hastened to add, that while unsolicited, it wasn’t completely spontaneous. It was the work of one Gus Worland.
For those of you who don’t know who Worland is, he’s the founder of the Gotcha4Life Foundation, an organisation that aims to support men’s mental wellbeing and combat the alarming rates of suicide in Australia, which take seven men and two women every day. Worland started the movement in 2017 after the death of a close friend.
I was attending the group’s annual lunch, in which the Gotcha4Life Foundation, Chemist Warehouse and Gillette teams join forces in honour of Men’s Health Month – an afternoon dedicated to purpose, connection, and open dialogue around mental fitness.
As is his custom, Worland, a former host of Triple breakfast radio host and TV personality, asked everyone to text the following message to a friend or loved one:
“I love you. I miss you. See you soon”.
Jonathan Moran, Gus Worland, Hugo Toovey, Neale Whitaker and Trent Cotchin at the Gotcha4Life Foundation lunch.
He’d done the same thing at last year’s lunch, so I knew it was coming. “It works,” doesn’t it,” Worland said to me afterwards. I had to agree it did. Last year I sent the text to a mate who’d moved to Bathurst. We’d started to lose touch but the cringey text prompted him to give me a call. This year I sent it to my brother and called him later that night to explain the context. It’s a tiny sliver of connection but sometimes that’s all it takes to brighten someone’s day, Worland says.
This year’s event launched the 2025 Gotcha4Life campaign, bringing together an inspiring group of voices for a raw and moving panel discussion led by journalist Jonathon Moran and Worland, army Major and cancer survivor, Hugo Toovey, design expert, Neale Whitaker and AFL premiership captain and podcast host, Trent Cotchin.
The Gotcha4Life Foundation uses funds raised to develop and deliver vital preventative mental fitness campaigns, workshops, programs and resources in schools, sports clubs, workplaces and communities Australia-wide. These programs are designed to build emotional muscles, strengthen social connectedness, and encourage help-seeking behaviour so everyone, but men, in particular, are better equipped to get through life’s ups and downs.
This year also marks the second edition of the Gotcha4Life Men’s Care Boxes. These curated boxes not only offer premium men’s grooming products but also act as a conversation starter and a great way to tell a man in your life that you care and are there for them. The Gotcha4Life Men’s Care Box is available online at Chemist Warehouse for just $19.99.
Chemist Warehouse has been a major partner of Gotcha4Life since its inception, a collaboration that has raised over $6.1 million to support mental fitness initiatives across Australia. Until July 9th, 5% of sales from selected brands, along with the proceeds from ‘Mateship’ wristbands sold at checkout counters and till donations at Chemist Warehouse stores around the country will go directly towards funding the vital work of the Gotcha4Life Foundation.
Boxer Harry Garside arrives at the Gotcha4Life Foundation lunch.
“It’s a cause close to our hearts, and an organisation we are so proud to partner with once again. Looking forward to seeing what we can do next!” said Mario Tascone, Chief Operating Officer of Chemist Warehouse.
Worland expressed gratitude for the continued support: “We couldn’t do what we do without the support of Chemist Warehouse – our biggest supporters from the start. With their help, we’ve reached over half a million Aussies through our programs and workshops. But that’s just the beginning – there are so many more people we need to reach to ensure no one has to worry alone.”
The aim, he adds, is to make strides toward a more mentally fit Australia and get that number down to zero. And it can start with something as simple, and silly, as a text message.
Related:
Breaking the silence: a paradigm for saving a life from suicide
A doctor’s own bitter pill to swallow: “I struggle to talk about mental health”
