Why I Mo: Harry Hooper
Harry Hooper, the co-founder of the Mates’ Ball, is running the New York City marathon in November as part of his efforts to raise awareness for men’s mental health
CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE of Men’s Health isn’t an isolated endeavour undertaken solely by organisations like Movember. Much of the work is done at the grassroots level by selfless community leaders committed to bettering the lives of their peers. That description fits Harry Hooper down to a tee.
Originally from the small town of Emerald in Central Queensland, Hooper was exposed to the reality of the state of mental health in Australia from an early age. “From 2013 to 2015, that region was like Australia’s per capita suicide capital,” he tells Men’s Health. Indeed, Emerald’s Central Highlands region still has the second highest age-standardised rate of suicides in all of Queensland, with 23 deaths per 100,000 people. “Going through high school, people were taking their own lives so often that it became like a frequent event,” Hooper says.
After eventually moving to Brisbane for university, Hooper found that the situation was just as dire in the big smoke. “It was pretty much the same thing. People have what look like these great, happy lives, but suicide is still so common,” he says.
Hooper now resides in Melbourne and works as a tunnelling surveyor, but he previously worked in Queensland’s mining industry. It was during his time in the mines that he was confronted with just how lonely some people’s lives can be. “I was really secluded and completely isolated from people and regular life,” he says. “I just never saw anyone.”
Following a New Year’s gathering where he found that many of his colleagues and friends were in the same boat, Hooper decided to take matters into his own hands. “I had the idea of doing a ball. An event that would bring people together to talk about mental health and raise some money for the cause,” he says.
This, Hooper says, is where the assistance of his friend and Mates’ Ball co-founder Oscar Clarke was crucial. “Oscar was really the backbone of it all when organising that. I couldn’t have done it without him.” Hooper and Clarke met at university in Brisbane. Now, according to Hooper, the pair are “like brothers.”
In its first year, the Mates’ Ball was known as the Harry Hooper Ball. It kicked off with the message of “be selfish enough to reach out and be greeted with selflessness”, had 300 guests, and raised more than $17,000 for Movember. “We were just trying to spread the message that it’s important to speak your feelings and speak your mind to people you’re close with,” Hooper says. “That night just felt really powerful.”
In 2024, the Harry Hooper Ball is returning, but it has evolved. The Ball’s name has changed to reflect this. “This year we’ve named it the Mates’ ball, and that’s because I believe it’s bigger than me,” says Hooper. “The message now is that you have to look after your mates.”
Hooper is not the type of person to adopt a ‘good enough’ approach to anything. The Mates’ Ball may become an annual event and it may continue to grow, but Hooper will always be looking for ways that he can do more. That’s why, this year, he and Clarke will be running the New York City marathon – one of the world’s six major marathons – to further support Movember and men’s mental health.
In his own words, Hooper says he and Clarke “aren’t necessarily runners.” What’s more, Hooper doesn’t have the typical frame of a marathon runner. “I’m a bit of a bigger boy too. I’m six foot five and 110 kilos,” he says. Ambitious by nature, Hooper insists he’s up to the task of conquering NYC and is confident he’ll cross the finish line. “I ran 32 kilometres last week, so I am confident. My real goal but is to finish in less than three-and-a-half hours,” he says.
The importance of community members like Hooper in the advancement of mental health awareness cannot be understated. Everyone has a role to play, it just so happens that Hooper is naturally suited to his. “I feel better knowing that others are doing well,” he says. “Maybe I’m a bit of a sticky beak, but I just like to make sure that people are doing alright.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek support from a mental health professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For support resources visit Movember.com/getsupport
Together, we can unite to take on men’s health. The Moustache is Calling. Join us this Movember and Grow a Mo or, Move 60km for the 60 men suicide takes globally every hour. Raise funds. Save lives. Sign up now at Movember.com
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