The Push-up Challenge 2023 - Join The OzBargain Team to Raise Fund for Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Awareness

scotty on 19/05/2023 - 17:24

We did that last year — joining The Push-Up Challenge as "Team OzBargain" and doing 3,000+ pushups in 3 weeks to raise fund for suicide prevention & mental health awareness.

What is The Push-Up Challenge? It's a nationwide initiative aimed at raising awareness about mental health and supporting those who are affected by it. By taking part in this challenge, you'll not only be engaging in a fantastic physical activity but also contributing to a cause that truly matters.

For this year,

  • Participants will do 3,144 push-ups across 23 days (1-23 June), and that number represents the number of people who died by suicide in Australia in 2021. That's on average 137 push-ups a day, and probably 70% of my annual pushup quota. However from last year's experience, the number of push-ups each day is different. However you can do them throughout the day, and there's no need to do 100+ in one go. For those who aren't keen on push-ups, it is also possible to substitute them with alternate exercises such as squats, lunges or sit-ups.

  • To be part of Team OzBargain, you'll need to register an account and join our team. A team can have maximum 10 individual participants so place is limited!

  • You can donate to Team OzBargain (or myself individually). Your donation will go to Lifeline, which is my chosen charity. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

  • OzBargain will donate $100 to each of its team members who have logged at least 50% of the overall push-ups.

  • OzBargain will also do lump sum donations to other mental-health related charities in our annual EOFY donations (post from last year).

Please visit The Push-Up Challenge website for more info.

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The Push-Up Challenge
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Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 19/05/2023 - 17:43
    +6

    Thanks for doing this Scotty and team 👏

    • mapax on 19/05/2023 - 17:57
      +1

      Are you participating?

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 19/05/2023 - 18:04
        +2

        I am actually half considering- could be what I need to get off my arse and back on track with my 2018 fitness resolution

  • freefall101 on 19/05/2023 - 18:24
    +3

    That's on average 137 push-ups a day

    looks at flabby arms and dodgy ankles

    doubt

    However I will happily contribute cash-wise, it's a fantastic cause. The winter blues settles in for many people, less interactions, lower vitamin D, generally down feelings, remember to look out for one another.

    • AustriaBargain on 19/05/2023 - 18:36

      I can do 137 as long as just doing only the down part counts. And as long as I can do them all one at a time. And not all on the same day.

    • ihbh on 19/05/2023 - 18:55

      My excuse: technique can also be a hindrance. Much easier to keeps hands out and elbows flare out as you come down vs hands shoulder width and elbows bend behind. Also, use of momentum vs not, etc.

  • ihbh on 19/05/2023 - 19:01

    Your donation will go to Lifeline(lifeline.org.au), which is my chosen charity

    Great choice Scotty.

    Note that you can also donate good condition books for them to resell.

    We have donated a lot of books to Vinnies because they are close to where we shop, but are preparing to donate a boot load to a Lifeline collection depot, who aren't too far away. My kids also like to buy some books from a Lifeline retail store, which we donate back when they outgrow them.

  • BuyoTheCat on 19/05/2023 - 19:34

    I joined. It only allows me to bank 40 per day.
    This is de-exercise for me. I did at least 60 today

  • JohnSy on 19/05/2023 - 20:00

    I joined.

    3,144 is approximately 10 times the number of Amazon Prime packages that I receive yearly from deals spotted on Ozbargain. This is my penance!

  • Mokr on 19/05/2023 - 21:19

    In 2021, there were 3,144 suicide deaths in Australia, with an age-standardised rate of 12.0 deaths per 100,000 population. The rate for 2021 is the lowest national suicide rate recorded since 2016

    There were around 782 female deaths and 2358 male deaths for 2021.

  • morse on 20/05/2023 - 07:04
    -1

    This is a great initiative. I won’t participate but will donate once it’s up an running.

    I’m sure I’ll get negged for saying this I just wanted to point out that simultaneously whilst you’re trying to raise awareness of suicide an raise money for a suicide prevention organisation there’s a thread that is doing the opposite of mental health promotion. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/775660 Here’s a few quotes:

    “You should feel shame for being a grown up and still being incapable of making basic good healthy food choices.”
    “lead by this portly dietician”
    “Nobody is afraid of fat people- disgusted, sure”
    “Fat people make me physically I’ll to look at”

    There’s more, but I think that’s enough. People with eating disorders are at high risk of suicide and this culture of fat shaming does not help. I’m all for freedom of speech but if OzB wants to promote mental well being having regular comments on various topics that shame and stigmatise a whole range of different people behind a veil of anti ‘woke’, ‘cancel culture’, ‘political correctness gone mad’ is inconsistent with that.

    • scotty on 20/05/2023 - 10:16
      +1

      Hi. First of all, we are pushing for mental health and would donate to professional resources to provide help to those who are in need, because we came across many people with mental issues while moderating the content.

      However moderation is hard because as an online platform we are also strive to provide an environment of free speech (yes, mental wellness is not the only thing that we are striving for). A lot of time it's finding & enforcing that fine line between free speech and "offensive" content (and even more time is spent on arguing with individuals got offended from both sides of the line).

      We do let users to report content that they are not comfortable with though, as there's no way for moderators to scan through every comment. Have you reported those to the moderators?

      • morse on 20/05/2023 - 13:22

        Thanks for the reply. I absolutely understand that the balance is hard. I think there’s a bit of a wave of people who like saying offensive things and then calling anyone who calls it out ‘woke’, and perhaps the balance is a bit off (but it’s not my site, so just my view).

        I haven’t reported the comments as I don’t know what counts as inappropriate. I think if the above comments were said in a work place they’d be considered inappropriate and at a social gathering most people would probably avoid socialising with that person.

        The peak body for eating disorders would probably be a guide on what is safe for people’s mental health and where to draw the line as a moderator for this particular topic, it’s not the first time it’s come up.

  • itsHughesy on 20/05/2023 - 09:22

    There's no chance I could do that many push-ups, but I'm in - I'll supplement the extra with other bodyweight exercises to hit the goal.

  • scotty on 30/05/2023 - 15:15

    Hello team! The Push-Up Challenge is starting in 2 days, and please remember to download the app (Android and iPhone) to record down your progress. The offer from OzBargain still stands — if you can manage to do at least 50% of the pushups (1,572 or more) then we'll donate $100 to your campaign.

    • mapax on 30/05/2023 - 15:21
      +1

      @Jimothy Wongingtons

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/05/2023 - 15:34
        +3

        thanks for believing in me - i've just signed up and taken the last spot. Hope to not let team ozbargain down.

        aiming for 69 (nice) pushups a night (69 x 23 = 1587)

        • mapax on 30/05/2023 - 15:44
          +1

          Nice, and well done!
          I believe in you. I’ll be here to encourage you to drop the KFC.
          69 each day should be manageable.

  • scotty on 02/06/2023 - 17:41
    +2

    How's everyone on the 2nd day of the challenge? Some team members might need a bit of pushing to get going.

    • mapax on 02/06/2023 - 18:01
      +1

      Was going to post after dinner to see how @Jimothy Wongingtons and everyone else is going.
      How about yourself scotty, how is day 2 for you?

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/06/2023 - 18:33
        +1

        I Still got 40 to go today , I’ll do it after this succulent Chinese meal, I swear!

        • mapax on 03/06/2023 - 08:15
          +1

          Did you get those 69 in last night?

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 03/06/2023 - 08:18
            +1

            @mapax: Nah unexpectedly, the app seems to scale and you can’t do extra and put it to your next day

            Eg I’m aiming for the 50% so 1572, but day 1 was 48, day 2 was 65 max (which I did) and now todays goal is 87…this throws my 69 push-ups a day meme out the window :(

      • scotty on 02/06/2023 - 18:36

        you can actually see your team's stats on the Team tab in the app — today so far & overall number of pushups.

        • mapax on 02/06/2023 - 18:51

          Isn’t the app only for registered participants? I’m just a cheer leader…

  • BuyoTheCat on 02/06/2023 - 21:42

    wow…..only day 2 and its starting to hurt.
    I did it a few with a cat sitting on my back. I counted those as doubles.

    • scotty on 02/06/2023 - 22:55

      That gotta be quite a hefty cat…

  • capslock janitor on 07/06/2023 - 19:24

    that cat on your team profile is doing lots

    • BuyoTheCat on 09/06/2023 - 15:32
      +1

      I am in pain. I cant feel my arms. that 210 day really hurt
      initial days I do 30 each time
      then 20 standard, then 10 on my knees each time.
      now I am up 15 standard and 10 on my knees.

      alternate days I mix in inverted rows to work on pulling rather than pushing.
      overall, this is painful

      • scotty on 10/06/2023 - 12:30

        Lucky we only do this once a year.

  • scotty on 13/06/2023 - 07:54

    Today is the day that some of our team members will break the half way mark! I will be making the first wave of $100 donations to those who made 1,572 or more pushups tomorrow.

  • JohnSy on 13/06/2023 - 08:21
    +1

    Try and time it for the Northern Star Resources 10am dollar match.

  • scotty on 14/06/2023 - 10:15

    Took the dollar match initiative just then and donated to

    • myself :)
    • John S
    • Kajiana S

    But for BuyoTheCat — there's no donation button on your page somehow. You might want to turn on "Show Donate Panel" on your page.

    • BuyoTheCat on 15/06/2023 - 11:52

      so thats what went wrong. my friends said there was no donate tab.

      turned it on.

      give me some monies!

    • JohnSy on 11/05/2024 - 09:10

      Is Team OzBargain participating again this year? If so, I am ready to join the team again!

      • scotty on 11/05/2024 - 09:12

        Yes I have been getting emails and notifications from the push-up challenge over the last few weeks. I'll try to sort it out next week and post up the info in the forums.

        • JohnSy on 11/05/2024 - 09:19

          Kjiana S and Kjell S from last year will also join. So there is at least 4 so far. We will be travelling around Switzerland next week so I’ll try to keep an eye out unless there is a way you can do invites directly to former members as a team leader?

          • scotty on 11/05/2024 - 09:26

            @JohnSy: Here we go — still limited by 10 people for the team this year. I'll do a new post on Monday but feel free to join the team using this link for now.

  • scotty on 15/06/2023 - 16:04

    Also donated to

    • BuyoTheCat
    • Kjell S

    today.

  • scotty on 23/06/2023 - 23:05
    +1

    Great work @Jimothy Wongingtons for completing half the pushups at the last minute. Donation coming soon.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 23/06/2023 - 23:12
      +3

      Thanks @scotty!

      I honestly don’t know how you and the others managed the full amount - some of the days were tough and definitely had to depend on the Sundays to fill in some days where I was too sore/tired. I’ll try the full amount next year :)

      On the upside, my push-up ability has definitely improved heaps! Typically can smash out at least 30 good ones in 1 go when starting fresh on a day now, up from around 12 pre challenge.

      • mapax on 24/06/2023 - 06:17
        +1

        Nice!

  • BuyoTheCat on 24/06/2023 - 16:27

    I am glad this is over

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 24/06/2023 - 16:57

      You’re not going to keep going?

      Wish the app would keep going dishing out the push-ups

      • BuyoTheCat on 24/06/2023 - 18:36

        I do other exercises. just doing pushups is killing me. I need to do more pulling exercise to work on my underdevelop lats.

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