Australian radio host, TV personality and award-winning Toshiba salesman back in the day. But more than all that, Gus is a compassionate mate, still as close to his school mates as he ever has been, wearing his heart on his sleeve. That heart was broken when his mentor in life took his own life. A man who seemingly had all the wonderful things in life to cherish - a beautiful family and home, a great job, and the respect and friendship of many. Yet he never confided in a soul about his inner worries.
In 2016, Gus hosted the TV documentary series on ABC, Man Up. Man Up exposed the issues of stoicism and isolation in society that can lead to significant mental health issues. You will often hear Gus say, "suicide is the death of isolation", and research now provides evidence to support this statement, as loneliness increases the likelihood of early mortality by 26%.*
At the end of this journey of discovery, Gus decided to set up a Foundation, to proactively encourage Aussies to speak up, express their emotions and ensure they all have a close friend in life that they can go to when times are tough. Gus simply does not accept the alarming statistics surrounding suicide and that eight beautiful people take their life every day.
And so, Gotcha4life was born.
Gotcha4Life
Gotcha4Life believes in the power of prevention through connection and champions the idea of proactively building mental fitness and the resilience required to deal better with the challenges that life throws at us.
We trust in the concept of starting meaningful conversations by developing better social and emotional connections with mates, families, colleagues and community.
To drive real change, Gotcha4Life funds educational workshops and innovative training programs throughout Australia that build mental fitness in individuals, organisations and communities to activate strong, open and binding relationships.
Gotcha4Life has helped to provide practical tools to over tens of thousands of young men, women, boys and girls, to help build the mental fitness required to support themselves and their friends.
Gus's vision
"Zero suicide, that's our vision. Simple as that. I want a society in which everyone has a Gotcha4Life mate. That go-to person who you can open up to and rely on about anything. A world where we seek help when life gets challenging. Where we can build open and honest relationships and feel comfortable expressing ourselves, no matter what."
Gus how did you come up with the name gotcha4life?
"When I really understand what someone is talking about I say ‘I gotcha' and when a person hears those words I can instantly see their reaction. Straight away they feel better about the situation. They know I've got them. After that we shake hands, pull it in and hug it out. It is a proven fact that an embrace, physical touch and contact will make you feel better. It works for me and my mates."
