The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero
by Running for Resilience
The R4R Podcast shares honest conversations about mental health, resilience, community and the moments that shape us.Hosted by Running for Resilience, each episode brings together people with lived experience, community leaders, athletes, advocates and everyday humans with powerful stories to tell.Recorded at Lonsdale Street Studio, the podcast explores grief, hope, connection, suicide prevention, personal growth and the importance of showing up for one another.These are conversations about life, struggle and resilience, created to help build a more connected community and remind people
Episodes
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Concussion, CTE, and the Mental Health of Athletes | Dr David Hughes, AIS Chief Medical Officer
In this episode of The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero, Ben sits down with Dr David Hughes, Chief Medical Officer at the Australian Institute of Sport and an advisor to Running for Resilience. Ben shares his own experiences of concussion, losing a teammate, and the things he believes sport could do...
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We're all going to die | Ben Pronk
We’re all going to die. So how do we make the most of the time we have? In this episode of The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero, Matt sits down with Ben Pronk, former SAS commanding officer, co-author of The Resilience Shield and author of We’re All Going to Die. This one is personal. Matt shares how…
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Honouring Joshua | Protecting Young Hearts | Joe & Taiye Oguns
“I wish we could skip that day” Matt sits down with Joe and Taiye Oguns to remember their son Joshua, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at just 14 years old. They share stories of his kindness, humour, sporting talent and determination, and speak openly about navigating grief, supporting their...
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How Canberra’s Cafés and Pubs Build Connection
Your local café might be where you grab a coffee. It might also be where someone knows your name, notices when you’re not yourself, and has time for a chat. In this episode of The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero, we’re joined by Jen from Two Before Ten, Morgan from Frankie’s at Forde, and Big Michael...
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Andrew Logan | Understanding Suicide, Knowing the Risks & Keeping People Safe
Andrew Logan shares the story of his son, Johannes, and what he has learned about suicide in the aftermath of losing him.Johannes was a talented young athlete. A rugby player, swimmer and water polo player who went on to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs system, from the outside his life appeared…
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Find Ya Feet | Tommy Herschell
This episode is in honour of Miles I.W. 1988-2026 Tommy Herschell is the founder of Find Ya Feet, an organisation helping people build the skills and confidence to have conversations that go well beyond “how are ya?” In this episode, Tommy joins Benny A for a wide-ranging conversation about...
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Running for a Reason | Veterans, community & the quiet work that changes lives
Murray Bruce has been one of the quiet engines of Running for Resilience since the early days. He's the one who brokered the University of Canberra research connection, coined the motto "better, not bigger," helped set up Strolling for Resilience and the Santa Run with Rise Above.He's a Navy...
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Better, Not Bitter | Grief, depression & the slow climb back to yourself
Paulina Young has done a remarkable amount of work on herself. After 17 years of marriage, her relationship ended. With two young boys and no idea who she was outside of being a wife and mum, she found herself in a very dark place. What followed was a period of depression, survival mode, and…
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AI | Mental Health | Yash Varma
Yash Varma is a high performance coach, founder of Empress Capital — one of Australia's first AI-focused venture capital firms — and an early investor in Anthropic. Born in India and raised in Canberra, Yash spent 20 years building a global software business before turning his focus to backing…
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The Man Who Slows Down the Least
Ben Wilson is a Canberra-born ultra runner now based in Brisbane. He grew up running fire trails in Tuggeranong, spent a decade living life to the fullest, and when he moved to Brisbane he lost his social network and found himself in a pretty dark place. A psychologist told him to start moving...
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Building Connection at Recess: How Canberra Schools Are Changing School Culture
Stephe sits down with Georgie MacDiarmid (Canberra Grammar), Mark Nicholson (Torrens Primary), and Mark Robson (Forrest Primary) — the teachers behind Recess for Resilience in Canberra. They unpack how a simple walk at recess is transforming school culture, building emotional language in kids…
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If you can't find your purpose... give it to someone else
It’s National Volunteer Week, and to celebrate, Running for Resilience co-founder Matt Breen sits down with Stuart Coates and Renee Watson for a powerful conversation about volunteering, community, purpose and the impact of simply showing up. Big Stu is an R4R stalwart who contributes more time,...
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Crusade for Connor: We wanted to honour our mate
Connor Hogan was diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety and depression in 2019. In December 2022, he tragically took his own life. Since then, Connor’s mates have honoured who he was by bringing people together to raise money and awareness for schizophrenia research. What struck me most about this...
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Pip Sheldon: Losing a Brother
Matt Breen sits down with Pip Seldon, founder of The Healthy Tradie Project, to talk about grief, suicide prevention, blue-collar mental health, and the legacy of her brother Dale.Pip shares the heartbreaking story of losing Dale to suicide in 2009, the shock and unanswered questions that…
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Losing a son | What I wish I knew | Andrew Logan
On the 10th of November 2025, Andrew Logan received the news no parent ever wants to hear... that no parent should ever hear... that his Son, Johannes Logan had died.In this deeply moving episode of the Running for Resilience Podcast, Matt Breen sits down with Andrew Logan to talk about the life...
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Jake Trbojevic Opens Up About Mental Health, Pressure & Rugby League
In this episode, Manly Sea Eagles, NSW Blues and Kangaroos forward Jake Trbojevic sits down with Ben Alexander and Mark Trbojevic to talk about the highs and lows of elite sport, dealing with pressure, social media criticism, concussion, mental skills training, family, recovery and the importance...
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What has your body lived through? | Burnout, Identity, & THRIVE
Dr. Shannon Kara is an Occupational Therapist, Clinical Director and Doctoral Student based in Canberra, specialising in nature-based interventions for neurodivergent and intellectually disabled populations. In this episode of the Running for Resilience Podcast, Shannon joins Matt Breen to share...
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I was so fatigued... Brushing my teeth was a win
In this episode of the Running for Resilience podcast, Matt Breen is joined by Tim Fulton and Lauren Geatches to explore the lived reality of rare disease in Australia through the story of Lauren’s child, Sage. They talk about diagnosis, day-to-day resilience, and what it takes for families to…
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The Research Behind Running for Resilience
What makes Running for Resilience more than just a run club?In this episode of the R4R Podcast, Ben Alexander sits down with Dr Joanna Wall Tweedie, Dr Andrew Flood and Dr Annaleise Naylor from the University of Canberra’s Research Institute for Sport and Exercise to unpack the research behind...
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Creating Collisions | Third Spaces | The Volunteer App
In the 20th episode of the R4R Podcast, Benny A sits down with George Vlachos from Digital Nachos. George has travelled around the world, developing is software skills, meeting people, and seeing what works elsewhere, looking for ways to create more collisions and third spaces in Canberra.He's…
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That's a wrap | 2025 | Year in review
In the final episode for 2025, Benny, Lili, and Breeny sit down to review this year's highlights.📞 Support ServicesMedicare Mental Health Centre Canberra – 1800 595 212Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 | https://www.beyondblue.org.au🔗 Connect with Running for...
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Parkrun Australia | Tim Oberg | Founder
Parkrun has become one of the great community success stories… a weekly ritual that brings people together, gets them moving, and gives them a sense of belonging they can rely on. In this episode, Benny A and Lili sit down with Tim Oberg, the founder of parkrun Australia, to talk about how the...
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What if my Dad called Lifeline instead of me?
Just over 15 years ago, Matt checked his phone and heard a voicemail from his dad:“Hey Matt, I just want to let you know that I love you.”Those could have been the last words his dad ever said… they would have been some of the last thoughts he ever had.In preparing for this episode, Matt wondered...
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Rise Above – Capital Region Cancer Relief
Cancer doesn’t just arrive as a medical diagnosis — it arrives as uncertainty, fear, chaos, costs, and a powerful hit to your mental health. In this episode, Matt opens with the night his mum’s world changed, and the moment he realised he couldn’t control everything.From there, the conversation...
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Heidi Prowse, Ben Alexander and Matt Breen
What does “bouncing back” really mean after unimaginable loss? In part two of our conversation with Heidi Prowse OAM, we explore what life looks like after losing her husband, Andrew... and how she’s found new ways to move forward through grief, purpose, and service to others. Heidi shares how...
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Heidi Prowse: We should have grown old together - Part 1
What does resilience really look like after losing the person you love most? In Part One of Episode 15 for the R4R Podcast, Heidi Prowse opens up about life with her husband, Andrew, the man she fell in love with, and the reality of living with his cystic fibrosis diagnosis. Together, they turned...
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Recess for Resilience: Building Good Habits Early
In this episode of the Running for Resilience Podcast, Ben Alexander sits down with Steph O’Neill and Mark Nicholson from Torrens Primary School, and Adam Hall from Canberra Grammar School, to explore the first year of Recess for Resilience.Recess for Resilience is a simple school-based wellbeing...
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Ben Gathercole, Benny Alexander, and Matt Breen: Part 2
What happens when we stop waiting for change — and start building it together? In Part 2 of our conversation with Menslink’s Ben Gathercole, we move from awareness to action: exploring what it actually takes to build a culture of care in schools, worksites, and communities. From mentoring young…
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Ben Gathercole, Ben Alexander, and Matt Breen: Part 1
What happens when we stop treating mental health as a side conversation — and start seeing it as a community responsibility? In this episode, Matt Breen revisits the origins of Running for Resilience — born from the loss of his dad — and the gap it left in male role models and connection. From...
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Murray Bruce & Lieutenant General Cheryl Pearce
In this episode of the R4R Podcast Murray sits down with Lieutenant General Cheryl Pearce for a discussion on resilience, vulnerability, courage, persistent disadvantage and support for others. If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone — support is always available: 📞 Medicare...
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Lili Mooney and the Sunday Sippers John Veloudos & James Butz
In this episode of the R4R Podcast, Lili Mooney sits down with John Veloudos & James Butz from The Sunday Sippers. In this chat, the team cover everything from 100km efforts to how the Sunday Sippers started. Check out the Sunday Sippers on Instagram or listen to their Podcast on Spotify If you…
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Jess Peil & Mark Trbojevic: Running, Injuries, and Mental Health
In this episode of the R4R Podcast, Jess Peil chats with Mark Trbojevic from Peak Health Canberra about all things running, injuries, and mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone — support is always available: 📞 Medicare Mental Health Centre Canberra - 1800 595…
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Ben Alexander & Matt Breen: an insight into our weekly R4R Chat
In this episode of The R4R Podcast, Ben Alexander and Matt Breen sit down to have their weekly R4R chat on air. There's so much happening at the moment and we thought it would be a great idea to pull the curtain back on some conversations behind the scenes. We'd also love to hear your feedback if...
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Tiffany McCormack, Murray Bruce, and Baljit 'Singh' Talwar - A Collaboration with Bravery Trek
In this episode of The R4R Podcast, Murray sits down with Singh and Tiff to talk all things Running for Resilience and Bravery Trek. These guys are awesome and they're a huge part of our community... but the work they do with Bravery Trek is immense. Find out more about Bravery Trek:...
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Episode 7 | Fordy & Kim Elms | A Collaboration with Peak 2 Soon
In this episode of The R4R Podcast, R4R legend and host of the Peak 2 Soon Podcast, Brent Ford interviews Kim Elms. Kim kickstarted a social movement, calling for more attention on Women's Safety, after numerous harassment incidents on Canberra's Running Trails. But this is only scratching the...
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A Community Forum on the Mental Health Crisis
With an introduction from R4R Legend and previous guest on the R4R Podcast (Lili Mooney), Running for Resilience held a community forum on the Mental Health Crisis facing Canberra and surrounding communities. Hosted by Thomas Emerson MLA, the panel included Ben Alexander from Running for...
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Callan Gates, Shooter, and Jess Peil - Blood Run x Running for Resilience
From the acclaimed "The Blood Run", Callan Gates sits down with R4R Legends Shooter and Jess, to talk all things R4R, Blood Run, and community. Our partnership with these guys was unexpected, but it's proving tot be unforgettable. "In 2022, Callan Gates sets out on an extraordinary 250 km…
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Matt Breen & Jess Peil
Matt sits down with Jess Peil for a conversation about all of her community work with Bravehearts, Menslink, Running for Resilience, and why she does it. We also hear about her running adventures and who she'd like to interview most. This podcast is an offshoot of the Running for Resilience...
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Lili Mooney: From Anorexia to Half Marathon Champion
Matt Breen sits down with Running for Resilience (R4R) community member Lili Mooney for a deeply honest conversation about anorexia, recovery, running, family, and the power of sharing your story.Lili first became part of the R4R story through our Meet the Runners newsletter, where she openly...
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Ben Alexander & Rich Peil: Anytime Fitness Australia founder
Ben Alexander sits down with Rich Peil — Anytime Fitness Founder, former Chairman and Owner of the Central Coast Mariners, and R4R Regular — for an honest conversation about the loss of a great friend, community, and personal strategies for resilience. This podcast is an offshoot of the Running…
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Ben Alexander & Matt Breen: The Launch of Road to Zero
Matt and Ben discuss R4Rs goal of a suicide-free Canberra, their own struggles, and mental health in general.
About this show
The R4R Podcast shares honest conversations about mental health, resilience, community and the moments that shape us.Hosted by Running for Resilience, each episode brings together people with lived experience, community leaders, athletes, advocates and everyday humans with powerful stories to tell.Recorded at Lonsdale Street Studio, the podcast explores grief, hope, connection, suicide prevention, personal growth and the importance of showing up for one another.These are conversations about life, struggle and resilience, created to help build a more connected community and remind people
Hosted by
Running for Resilience