Rosanna’s Story

Retired cricketer Brad Hogg has achieved a sporting success level that would envious many Australians.

Raised on a sheep farm in the Great Southern region, Brad rose from the Tarwonga Cricket Club to represent Australia as a wrist spin bowler and batsman.

He excelled at all formats of the game, ranking second among spin bowlers in wickets taken in One Day International cricket and achieving cult hero status as part of the fledgling Big Bash League in the 2010s.

However, retirement from cricket presented a difficult challenge for Brad. The loss of identity as a professional athlete, combined with issues in his personal life, resulted in Brad’s mental health declining. Brad says he compounded the problem by hiding it behind a forced smile and trademark self-deprecation.

“While I went through my stuff, I didn’t really talk to anyone about it. I just kept it inside myself and didn’t really express it,” he says. “I just didn’t see the answers, and all I could see was doom and gloom.”

Brad didn’t access resources like Lifeline WA when he needed help, and now he’s motivated to spread the word about Lifeline WA so others don’t make the same mistake.

“When you go down into a little bit of a spiral and things aren’t going right, if you don’t address them straight away then the hole just gets bigger,” he says.

Speaking publicly about his experience of depression for the first time was difficult, but Brad sees it as necessary.

“The first time I spoke, I was really nervous, but when I realised I could help at least one or 10 or 100 people, I felt better about it,” he says. “I hope that normalising life’s struggles and encouraging people to be open makes an impact.”

His message for people who are struggling is simple. “For me, it’s about talking it out and getting open with it when you start to see things aren’t going right. There are resources out there like Lifeline WA to help you.”

Chris Puckridge has been named WA finalist for Lifeline’s Mary Parsissons Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Chris was nominated by fellow Lifeline WA volunteers for excellence in the volunteer field, leadership and for making an inspirational contribution to the community.

Chris has been a dedicated telephone crisis supporter since 2014, going over and above his weekly commitment to work shifts over public holidays, provide support and mentoring to other crisis supporters and volunteering to facilitate training for new crisis supporters.

Originally a stockman, Chris has worked in regional areas for many years before joining Lifeline WA. He brings this experience and unique knowledge to his volunteer role and has a strong empathy for people in regional areas and the issues they face.

“The training and support you receive at Lifeline gives you the strength to deal with people when they are often at the lowest point of their lives,” he said.

“I often listen to other crisis supporters on the phones and I am in awe of how they respond so calmly and professionally to people who can be in life or death situations or on the other hand sometimes people are just lonely and isolated and need to hear a kind and non-judgemental voice.”

Ros Worthington OAM is one of Australia’s most inspirational philanthropists.

She has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal, 2015 Western Australian of the Year for community and has twice been a finalist for Australian of the Year. She has been formally acknowledged as one of WA’s 100 Most Influential Western Australians. Ros lost her husband Ross, to suicide in 2002.

This month Ros launched a campaign – Stepping out of the Shadows – aiming to raise one million dollars for Lifeline WA.

Ros has gathered together a group of strong community advocates who have lost loved ones to help Western Australians create a lifeline for Lifeline WA.

Their focus is on both prevention of suicide and support for those who are bereaved by the loss of someone to suicide. This community driven initiative encompasses people from all walks of life; young, old, gay, straight, working, not working, men and women from all backgrounds and cultures, who lost loved ones to suicide.

The Stepping Out of the Shadows campaign will travel across the state of Western Australia delivering a message of hope, garnering support and encouraging discussion about coming out of the shadows and into the light to save lives.

The one million dollar fundraising target will help Lifeline WA to train more volunteers and mentors, answer more calls and save more lives.