DOZENS of Tablelands residents converged on the Atherton International Club for the Well Man Tour event last Thursday night.
The event was an entertainment and information session to promote health and wellbeing among men.
Developed and coordinated by Cairns not-for-profit organisation Health Reimagined, the Well Man Tour travelled across North Queensland to provide steps for men on how to lead healthier lives.
Atherton was the last stop on the tour, with information sessions having already been held previously in Mackay, Port Douglas and Cairns.
Three speakers presented as part of the event, all of whom spoke in-depth about their personal experiences and how it motivated them to help men of all ages across Australia in their fight for greater physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Chief Executive Officer of the Men’s Resource Centre Grant Westthorpe said he was extremely happy with the numbers at the event.
“It was great to see so many men wanting to make subtle changes to better their life,” he said.
“All we’re looking for is to give men what we refer to as a 10% nudge – if they can make a 10% nudge to a better wellbeing, they’ll be amazed at what a difference that will have on their life.”
Another purpose of Mr Westthorpe’s visit was to promote the Well Man App, which is aimed at improving the life of boys and men.
The app provides men with access to health and wellbeing information along with physical, mental, social and food challenges to be completed by the user.
“This app is going to spread rapidly,” he said.
“It is such a worthwhile app as it can be downloaded and used in your own time.
“Most importantly however, the abundance of information the app provides is what makes it stand out.
“It will provide people who are struggling with avenues to find a way out of their dark place - and it is great tool for men to broaden their knowledge on their overall wellbeing.”
Mr Westthorpe encouraged men of all ages to downland the app, and noted that downloading it identifies an individual’s strength, not weakness.
The second speaker of the night was comedian and qualified suicidologist Mark McConville.
Mr McConville performed a comedic routine for the crowd which incorporated some important messages about the enormous role laughter plays in one’s mental health.
“When I delved into the statistics on suicide and attempted suicide in this country, I quickly realised that it was an epidemic,” he said.
“It motivated me to look into what human laughter can do to combat mental illness, and it showed to have enormous benefits.
“So being a comedian myself, I realised that I work in an industry that could have a positive impact and I wanted to make a difference.”
Mr McConville said he has designed a human laughter education program for people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, of which can be found on his website at www.markmcconville.com.au.
The final speaker of the evening was Drew Brauer, who founded the not-for-profit charity Kick On which is based in Cairns.
The charity focuses on suicide prevention and mental health through programs across the state which incorporate fitness, music and social groups.
Mr Brauer encouraged members of the public to like the Kick On Facebook and Instagram pages to show their support.
