Starting today we’re joining our parent company the Chandler Macleod Group and thousands of other Australians in the Push-Up Challenge, which seeks to raise money and awareness for mental health by asking individuals and teams to complete 3,318 push ups in the next 25 days – 3,318 represents the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2019.

This year the Push-Up Challenge is supporting three registered charities with a nationwide presence:

  • Push For Better Foundation – raises awareness of the mental health issues affecting everyday Australians.
  • Headspace – provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year olds.
  • Lifeline – gives access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services, this is the charity Aurion and the Chandler Macleod Group are supporting.

Share the work, keep on target
It doesn’t matter if you have chicken-wing arms or the power-to-weight ratio of a sponge, not only can you choose an alternatives exercise such as sit-ups or squats, if you join a team like Aurion’s, you can share the Challenge’s 3,318 push-ups between everyone over the 25 days.

How to get involved:

  1. Resister yourself or a team.
  2. Download the app as an easy way to track and share your progress.
  3. Invite friends and colleagues to support your Challenge

Help Aurion raise much needed funds for Lifeline: if you can, please consider making a donation through our Aurion Cares Push up Challenge page.

Lessons from the Guinness World Records
How many push ups can you do in an hour? The Guinness World Record for most push ups in one hour by a guy (2919!) was made in 2020 by Gold Coast-based accountant Jarrad Young, who was featured in CPA Australia’s In The Black magazine, Jarrad Young CPA: Pushing the limit.

Jarred Young during his successful Guinness World Record attempt in September 2020

Young says he invested a considerable amount of analysis, strategy and planning in undertaking his Guinness World Record-breaking effort. “To break it down, I treat it like a boxing match,” says Young,

“When I do my push-ups, I think of it as a 12-round fight. I compartmentalise it into 12 rounds, in each round I do 15 sets, and in each set, I do 16 reps and take two deep breaths in the Balasana yoga pose,” the 42-year-old single father of two says.

Visit the Push Up Challenge website for more information.

Find out more on how we express our company values at Aurion: read about our donation to five organisations that support everyday people to rebuild lives and communities devastated by disasters; and our Harmony Week celebrations for 2021.