Maggie Taouk (WHA), Jemma Pigott (WHA), David Trist OAM, Edward Lopez, Poppy.
Nepean CrossFit is conducting a 24-hour national fitness fundraiser on Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th April, honouring fallen service members and supporting veterans and first responders. Teams of 6 will complete 24 hero workouts over 24 hours.
This event originated at Nepean CrossFit in 2021 and has since raised over $430,000, expanding across 7 states and into NZ. All Australian proceeds go to Wounded Heroes Australia (WHA). Learn more about the team here: https://24hoursofheroes.com.au/about/meet-the-team/
Wounded Heroes Australia (WHA) is a national grassroots charity, providing 24/7 emergency financial aid to current and former ADF members and their families in crisis.
WHA supports those facing domestic violence, homelessness, or financial hardship, offering immediate assistance for essentials like food, fuel and emergency accommodation via their crisis line: 1300 532 112.
“We are headquartered in Queensland but provide Australia-wide support and are working hard to curb the heartbreaking high rates of Defence and Veteran suicide,” said NSW/ACT State Manager Jemma Pigott. “We are deeply committed to addressing this crisis highlighted by the Royal Commission’s Final Report, which was delivered on 9 September 2024. With an average of 3 suicides every fortnight, this toll is devastating, and at WHA, we work tirelessly to reduce it.
“Despite government-funded organisations referring veterans to our services, WHA receives no government funding for crisis relief. We rely on public and corporate donations, and community fundraising to sustain our 24/7 response.
“Our crisis line has seen a significant increase in demand, with calls rising from 5 to 15 per day in 2024, driven by the cost of living, domestic violence, and mental health crises.
“In 2024, we supported 4,226 ADF veterans and families—up from 2,910 in 2023—spending an average of $7,522 per week on crisis relief. This peaked to over $10,000 during April and May and surpassed $13,200 in the final months of the year.
“Easter, Anzac Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas and every school holiday break are sadly always busy times for our Crisis Line, as they can trigger massive trauma for veterans who are lonely, isolated or struggling to support a family.
“Our ability to provide life-saving support is made possible by the generosity of our fundraising partners. In 2025, we hope to expand our partnerships to further support our Defence and Veteran community and help make a real difference in their lives.”
Read more here: www.woundedheroes.org.au/
WHA also ran a fundraising and awareness raising event in Westfield Penrith this week (23-24th April), where community members could enjoy a free coffee with a veteran at Nadia’s Cafe.
Attending veterans were David Trist OAM (WWII Veteran) and Edward Lopez (Navy Veteran), who was accompanied by his service dog Poppy.
“David has been instrumental in supporting our work locally and helped me connect with Westfield Penrith, and also with arranging buglers for Remembrance Day in 2024,” said Jemma.
“David also attended our activation from the Community Desk that day, which really helped boost our fundraising.”
