Former Wallabies prop Ben Alexander has transformed his personal battle with post-career despair into a powerful community movement, with his successful Running For Resilience program launching in Newcastle this week.
The Struggle After the Final Whistle
Alexander, who earned 72 Test caps for Australia and played a record 152 games for the Brumbies, faced a profound mental health crisis upon retiring from professional rugby. The celebrated front-rower found himself spiralling into depression, lacking motivation and fearing an uncertain future beyond the sport that had defined his life.
"I felt like my battery for life was empty, and I lost hope that it would ever recharge," Alexander previously revealed. His turning point came through Parkrun, the free weekly community running event, which helped him reconnect with friends and regain a sense of purpose.
How Running For Resilience Was Born
After writing a blog about his mental health journey, Alexander was contacted by Brumbies fan Matt Breen, who was grappling with his own grief following his father's suicide and his mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. Breen asked if Alexander would host a one-off mental health run at The Dock pub in Canberra, which Alexander co-owns.
"About 20 people turned up for the first one. I said to Breeny: 'this is good fun, The Dock will shout again next week'," Alexander recalled. That casual commitment six years ago sparked what is now a thriving community initiative.
The program has evolved far beyond its running origins, now offering approximately 20 events monthly in Canberra across activities including pickleball, yoga, knitting, and stand-up paddleboarding. It attracts around 1000 participants each week across various venues including pubs, cafes, schools, and workplaces.
Newcastle Launch and Local Connection
Running For Resilience arrives in Newcastle on January 7, with its inaugural event starting at the Customs House Hotel. Participants will run or walk along a scenic harbour and break wall route.
Argentinian psychologist and avid runner Mateo Zingoni will lead the Newcastle program. "The aim is to get men to realise they have support," Zingoni explained. "We move for half an hour and the most important part is sticking around and having a chat."
The Newcastle expansion has strong local connections. Alexander's business partner at The Dock, Scott Fardy, has moved to Newcastle as an assistant coach with the Hunter Wildfires rugby union side. Additionally, a school friend of Alexander's, Ben Stehr, now owns the Customs House Hotel and offered to host the runs.
Alexander, along with seven others from Canberra, will travel to Newcastle for the Wednesday launch at 6pm. "We are super pumped for January 7," Alexander said. "The run out past Nobbys in Newcastle is beautiful. It couldn't be a better spot."
A Proven Model for Mental Health Support
The program's simple but effective formula combines physical activity with social connection. "The secret we stumbled across was that once people do exercise and you whack a drink in their hand - whether it is water, beer or coffee - they stick around for 20 minutes and chat," Alexander noted.
Running For Resilience forms part of broader Canberra efforts to reduce suicide rates. Remarkably, suicide deaths in the national capital have fallen from 62 in 2021 to 38, representing a 39 percent decrease.
"We have a mission of a suicide-free Canberra," Alexander stated, while acknowledging the community-wide effort behind the statistics. "Through our podcast and newsletter, we have talked a lot about mental health. The other part of our success is that we have created an environment where it is OK for things not to be that great."
The Newcastle program requires no registration or weekly commitment - participants simply need to show up and join in. As Alexander's journey demonstrates, sometimes the first step toward recovery is putting one foot in front of the other, especially when you're not walking alone.
