Murray River Paddle to Support Emergency Workers’ Mental Health. 

As Chair of the Emergency Services Foundation (ESF), which exists to improve mental health and wellbeing across the Victorian emergency management sector,  I am proud to announce that I plan to embark on an unsupported, solo 2,400 kilometre paddle down the Murray River to raise awareness of the profound mental health challenges faced by our emergency workers, and to acknowledge the impact of that on their families.

Following the success of Tony’s Trek - One Step at a time 2023 and Tony’s Trek - Side by Side 2024 with my good mates at Side-by-Side Trek, I will begin Tony’s Trek - Paddle for Awareness 2025 in late September.

This journey is expected to take approximately 55 days, during which time I will paddle the full length of the navigable part of the Murray River starting in New South Wales and finishing at the mouth of the Murray in South Australia. Along the way I will take every opportunity to shine a light on the hidden toll that emergency work takes on those who serve our communities because the statistics are damning, and we must do better.

Did you know that:

• 1 in 3 emergency service workers experience high or very high psychological distress.
• 15% of all mental injury claims come from emergency services workers.
• The average emergency worker mental health claim costs $389,000 against a Workcover scheme average of $244,000
• Only 37% emergency workers with a mental injury claim are back at work in 6 months which is below the scheme average.
• And, more emergency workers than ever before are unable to return to work at all.

This solo journey down the Murray River will be both a physical and mental challenge for me, much like the daily experiences of our emergency workers. Along the way, I will connect with local communities, share stories of resilience, and highlight the need for robust mental health resources and support systems. My aim is to inspire action and raise vital funds to enhance programs that promote wellbeing for our emergency services personnel.

I invite everyone to support me on this journey—whether by following my progress, spreading the message, or contributing to the cause. Let’s paddle together toward a future where we have mentally healthy people and workplaces across the sector.

In 2023, Tony’s Trek raised $240k to fund a pilot residential wellbeing program, and $40k in 2024 went towards the development of a new Lived Experience program.

The funds raised through this year's initiative will be used to help the all too often forgotten families of our emergency workers. ESF wants to keep up the momentum created at the fantastic 2024 Family Matters Expo hosted in association with the AFL emergency services match which saw families from across the sector come together in a fun atmosphere to be acknowledged, connect, and learn - because they too can be deeply affected by the job of their emergency services worker family member.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and I would love to have your support in whatever form that takes. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in their lives.