A bank manager and father of two is on a mission to raise money for mental health, one push-up at a time.
Justin Lippiatt is aiming to complete 3144 push-ups by June 23 and is organising a flash-mob style event to raise money for Lifeline and help him achieve his goal.
“I didn’t want to just do 3144 push-ups by myself during this period,” he said.
The event is at 10am on Thursday, June 8, at Noosa Civic shopping centre and will involve multiple retailers pausing their work days to help Justin complete the push-ups for the fundraiser.
He hopes to create a sense of community throughout the shopping centre.
“I completed the Push-Up Challenge last year to raise awareness for mental health,” he said.
“I did it to raise funds for Lifeline and to challenge myself physically.”
The 3144 push-ups represents the number of people who committed suicide in 2021.
“Every day’s target is symbolic or representative of a statistic,” he said. “Today’s target (Friday) is 130 – it represents the 130 calls Lifeline receives per hour.”
Mr Lippiatt has come from a humble background, previously struggling with the “abyss of guilt and shame” while struggling with alcohol addiction.
On April 1 he celebrated 25 years sober and attests to the support of his wife Barbarah and friends who helped him become “free”.
He now manages Heritage Bank in Noosa Civic Shopping Centre and hopes to inspire others through the flash mob.
He is also the director of Sober in the Country, a not-for-profit advocacy group focused mainly on rural Australia with the message that it’s always okay to say no to booze.
Amanda Lehtinen from Noosa Civic’s Athlete’s Foot store said she was eager to join the cause.
“I think it’s nice getting the community involved,” she said.
“Someone that passionate about helping others is beautiful, so we’ll do anything we can to help.
“It is good we can actually do something for fun instead of just social distancing all the time.”
The flash mob idea stems from Justin’s idea to get more foot traffic and “develop a deep community in the centre and, of course, have some fun”.
Anyone can sign up to fundraise, or just join the cause by taking part in a group challenge to raise mental health awareness.
People can register to do the full 3144 push-ups, or just half, over the 23 days of the challenge, which started on June 1.
The 54-year-old completed the Lifeline Counselling Course in 2005 and has been a supporter of its work for the past 18 years.
“I think virtual health services will be a critical requirement for folks experiencing mental health challenges now, and in the years to come,” he said.
You can donate to his fundraiser via this link to help raise money for Lifeline.
Mia Ludwig is a University of the Sunshine Coast Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) graduate.
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