Latest news with #StickWithIt
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
‘Couldn't roll out of bed': The story Greg Inglis shares in a bid to save lives
'Before I knew it, I was lost for five days. It really hit home for me. Friends and family were ringing around hospitals, ringing around police stations trying to figure out where I was. 'I got to some days and some nights where I couldn't wake up and put pants on. I just couldn't roll out of bed. 'After those five days, I went back home, detoxed for two weeks before I made my way back down to Sydney, and then checked myself into a rehab facility for three weeks.' While Inglis' mental health issues bubbled to the surface after hanging up his boots, he was not immune from it during his playing days. Not long after being appointed Kangaroos captain, Inglis was stripped of the honour after being involved in a drink-driving/speeding incident. 'I take full responsibility for that, I take accountability for that,' Inglis said. 'It was no one's mistake but mine. It was a massive honour and they made the right decision. 'I got to some days and some nights where I couldn't wake up and put pants on. I just couldn't roll out of bed.' Greg Inglis on his mental health struggles 'If they were to go back and say I'm still the captain, I would have stepped aside and said it's not right because it's not setting a good example for our next generations coming through. 'It happened to be around that time in my life [that I was struggling]. It wasn't the sole reason behind my struggles; it's before that. 'When I was in rehab, it went back to my early childhood, but I just learned how to deal with it, learned how to put a mask on. 'My way out of it was training and playing. I sort of suppressed my feelings.' Inglis now acknowledges it is a mistake to do that. The former Storm, Rabbitohs, Maroons and Kangaroos star wants people to seek help given that suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44, with the rate spiking in Indigneous and remote communities. 'I want to reduce the suicide rate within Australia because it's four times the rate of the road tolls,' Inglis said. 'I want to reduce the suicide rate in Australia, but also want to increase the numbers of people going to seek mental health clinicians. ''Stick With It' is about the resilience of people, using a sporting tape to showcase that. Loading 'It's come about through my own mental health struggles. The reason why we're using this is because if you go to a doctor and you go see something fixed, they put a bandage on it or they put something around it so people can talk about it. 'Why not showcase [the cause by] using athletes to spread the word of mental health by using strapping tape?' Inglis has almost 260,000 Instagram followers, but has dispensed with social media. Instead, he asks his business managers to curate his content. 'I don't need that in my life right now. I don't think I will in the future,' he said. 'Yes, it is a big part of society at the moment, but what I also say to people who are out there is be careful of what you put out there. 'Once it's out there - if you do carry a voice or an image or are an influencer - make sure you're sharing the right messaging around whatever you're promoting.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Couldn't roll out of bed': The story Greg Inglis shares in a bid to save lives
'Before I knew it, I was lost for five days. It really hit home for me. Friends and family were ringing around hospitals, ringing around police stations trying to figure out where I was. 'I got to some days and some nights where I couldn't wake up and put pants on. I just couldn't roll out of bed. 'After those five days, I went back home, detoxed for two weeks before I made my way back down to Sydney, and then checked myself into a rehab facility for three weeks.' While Inglis' mental health issues bubbled to the surface after hanging up his boots, he was not immune from it during his playing days. Not long after being appointed Kangaroos captain, Inglis was stripped of the honour after being involved in a drink-driving/speeding incident. 'I take full responsibility for that, I take accountability for that,' Inglis said. 'It was no one's mistake but mine. It was a massive honour and they made the right decision. 'I got to some days and some nights where I couldn't wake up and put pants on. I just couldn't roll out of bed.' Greg Inglis on his mental health struggles 'If they were to go back and say I'm still the captain, I would have stepped aside and said it's not right because it's not setting a good example for our next generations coming through. 'It happened to be around that time in my life [that I was struggling]. It wasn't the sole reason behind my struggles; it's before that. 'When I was in rehab, it went back to my early childhood, but I just learned how to deal with it, learned how to put a mask on. 'My way out of it was training and playing. I sort of suppressed my feelings.' Inglis now acknowledges it is a mistake to do that. The former Storm, Rabbitohs, Maroons and Kangaroos star wants people to seek help given that suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44, with the rate spiking in Indigneous and remote communities. 'I want to reduce the suicide rate within Australia because it's four times the rate of the road tolls,' Inglis said. 'I want to reduce the suicide rate in Australia, but also want to increase the numbers of people going to seek mental health clinicians. ''Stick With It' is about the resilience of people, using a sporting tape to showcase that. Loading 'It's come about through my own mental health struggles. The reason why we're using this is because if you go to a doctor and you go see something fixed, they put a bandage on it or they put something around it so people can talk about it. 'Why not showcase [the cause by] using athletes to spread the word of mental health by using strapping tape?' Inglis has almost 260,000 Instagram followers, but has dispensed with social media. Instead, he asks his business managers to curate his content. 'I don't need that in my life right now. I don't think I will in the future,' he said. 'Yes, it is a big part of society at the moment, but what I also say to people who are out there is be careful of what you put out there. 'Once it's out there - if you do carry a voice or an image or are an influencer - make sure you're sharing the right messaging around whatever you're promoting.'
SBS Australia
07-07-2025
- Health
- SBS Australia
‘Stick with it': Greg Inglis leads national mental health push for mob
A powerful new mental health campaign is putting visibility, connection, and culture at the centre of healing – and it's led by NRL great and Dunghutti man Greg Inglis. Launched through his mental health organisation, the Goanna Academy, the Stick With It campaign invites people to write messages of strength, remembrance or hope on sports tape - a small gesture aimed at sparking big conversations. "No matter what you're going through – even if it feels tough or you're not sure about the process – we want people to stay with it,' Inglis said. "There's always a light at the end of the tunnel." The campaign comes as new figures show more than one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults report having a current mental health condition, a rate significantly higher than for non-Indigenous Australians. Standing in front of a mural in Redfern covered with hundreds of handwritten messages, Inglis reflected on the significance of making mental health visible. "We all bandage up injuries you can see - but mental health is invisible,' he said. "This tape, these messages, they make it real. People wrote for the next person, someone they lost, or about their own struggles. It's powerful." Greg Inglis places a message on a mural in Redfern covered with handwritten notes, part of the Stick With It campaign raising awareness for mental health in First Nations communities. The Stick With It initiative is part of a broader movement by the Goanna Academy to break down stigma in First Nations communities and to support young people through targeted education and cultural connection. "I used to say I was okay, but I wasn't,' Inglis said. "Sharing my story helps others realise they're not alone. "We have to look after ourselves, so we can look after the next generation." South Sydney Rabbitohs star and Bundjalung and Yuin man Cody Walker, an ambassador for the Goanna Academy, also threw his support behind the campaign. "Mental health affects everyone – all communities, across the whole country,' Walker said. "Seeing people come together to write messages for strangers – that could be the thing that helps someone get through the day." He said campaigns like this are vital in communities where suicide rates remain alarmingly high. "You never know what someone's going through,' Walker said. "But the Goanna Academy is giving mob the tools - strategies to work through mental health struggles, and ways to support others too. That's what makes it so important." The campaign will also roll out across the NRL, with players set to wear Stick With It tape during Round 22 as a show of solidarity. "It's a great initiative, and I'm proud to be part of it," Walker said. The Goanna Academy is aiming to raise $500,000 to expand its reach across schools and regional communities - enabling more programs, more ambassadors, and more sustained support. "I don't believe in just visiting a community once,' Inglis said. "Mental health takes time. That's why we return, we follow up, we build real connections." For Walker, the message is simple: dream big, even through the struggle. "I always tell kids: follow your dreams,' he said. "I've had my challenges, but I never gave up. That's what this is about, showing people they're not alone, and not giving up on themselves." As NAIDOC Week continues across the country, Inglis said the campaign reflects what this year's theme – 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy' – is all about. "This is about legacy. This is about looking after ourselves so we can be here for the next generation,' he said. "If we can change a life – or save one – then we're doing our job." 13YARN: 13 92 76 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
