Tackle the challenge with your mates
K’s for R U OK? is your opportunity to create new, or deepen existing, connections with your support network.
You can definitely go solo, but we’re encouraging Australians to come together and start creating some great habits - exercising and strengthening connections with your friends and loved ones.
We also have a very sharing and caring Facebook Group who would love to see your daily updates.
Who will you recruit?
Been meaning to reconnect with a mate? Back in the office or still working remotely and want to connect with your colleagues? Know someone who’d be down for a bit of friendly competition? Share the challenge with your mates, your workplace, your family, then set up your team page and get clocking your team K’s.
It’s a true team effort.
On the days you can meet up, tackle the K’s together. On the days you can’t, clock the K’s in your own time and why not phone that person you’ve been meaning to call? Remember to track all your K’s on your dashboard and check in with your teammates to keep your team connected and consistent.
Have each other’s backs.
As a team, you’re there to provide words of encouragement, motivate each other to meet your goals, check in on your progress, and celebrate your successes together. We want you to deepen your connections and reach out to each other for support, as well as challenge each other.
Tamba's K's
Nathan, aka Tamba, played a huge part in K's for R U OK? in 2024 and this year he's joining again with his daughter.
“I just really enjoyed so much about the challenge. I love the flexibility of the challenge; it opens it up to allow you to take on the challenge your own way. You are not in competition with anyone. You don’t need to be an athlete. You don’t need to be a leader. You simply have the freedom to clock your K’s your own way. ”
What initially drew you to K’s for R U OK?
I lost one of my best friends to suicide in my mid 20’s so suicide prevention is really important to me. Last year I did a Facebook fundraiser for my birthday and was blown away by the response.
Then I saw a post about K’s and thought, if I can raise $500 in a weekend imagine what I could do in a month, so I signed up.
Before the challenge had kicked off, I was already having important conversations about why I signed up, suicide prevention and life not going according to plan.
What does R U OK? mean to you?
R U OK? is something I wish for everybody to know about. Whether for their own health or people they know or may meet in life.
I wish R U OK? had been around when my best friend took her life nearly 20 years ago. I was a close supporter of hers and we went through a lot together. I probably wasn’t fully aware of how to approach the conversation.
R U OK? Is a term that can really resonate. I have found it is a term you can ask and allows people to answer openly.
What were your highlights of K’s for R U OK? 2023?
I just really enjoyed so much about the challenge. I love the flexibility of the challenge; it opens it up to allow you to take on the challenge your own way. You are not in competition with anyone. You don’t need to be an athlete. You don’t need to be a leader. You simply have the freedom to clock your K’s your own way.
Having my daughter and partner join in for some walks was great.
One of my real highlights was making the front page of our local paper (The Warrnambool Standard) and knowing for that single day, I was able to put R U OK? into the lives of 1000s of people that I don’t know. That was pretty special.
Why do you believe asking R U OK? can make a difference?
A simple question of R U OK? can save a life, this is how important I think this question is. It is a very powerful question when asked with meaning and sincerity and is hopefully the start of a deep and meaningful conversation .
What were the hardest parts for you?
I wouldn’t describe the challenge as hard - I just looked at it as a month-long learning curve and just made it up as I went along.
The biggest challenge for me was sharing on social media. Trying to find a balance between getting across a serious message but still having fun (and believe me I had heaps of fun). I also made a big effort to personally thank to everyone who donated or commented on my posts.
I was a bit worried about questions people might have about suicide. Taking part in the challenge doesn’t make you a trained professional. But I found that just being there and listening - allowing someone to share a thought that they had been holding onto for some time could make a big difference.
Do you have any tips for our participants Ks for R U OK? this year?
Sure do!!! Embrace the challenge. Maybe you will reach your target goals and maybe you won't, but you’ve signed up and you are already making a difference.
I bought and R U OK? T-shirt and wore my for each session. It was my outfit. It made me feel proud and empowered each time I put it on.
Keep it fresh and mix up your activities. Mix up your routes. Some of my favourite sessions were just walking to a nearby footy oval to walk around kicking the football from end to end. I’d still knock up 3.5km from front door to the oval and home again and I’d had fun.
What are your fundraising tips for your fellow participants?
Spread the word and keep people updated with your progress. Don’t be too hard on yourself if the fundraising seems low.
You are definitely one of the star contributors in our Facebook Group – what are your favourite things about the group?
This group has become like a family to me, we can share all our own stories and troubles and be there for each other. These friendships have been forged in stone through mutual beliefs and goals and I feel blessed to be a part of it.
You are definitely one of the star contributors in our Facebook Group – what are your favourite things about the group?
I really enjoyed the positive attitude it offered. I was probably like many others in the group, in the sense, that uploading selfies etc was probably out of their comfort zone but it was openly accepted. I remember after my first session on July 1st, I did a 360-degree selfie on top of Big Rock at the You Yangs in Victoria, and it got lots of comments, so I made it my thing.
The group allowed you to be yourself whether you were feeling empowered or vulnerable. You could openly reflect on hurdles or motivations you were facing, and you knew that you would receive honest support from a group of like-minded strangers.
For me, I am a person who loves physical company of friends, so to find that the group did allow that kind of vibe to be felt was something special.
