Both the NACCHO chair Justin Mohamed and CEO Jason B King attended the launch in Armidale last week  along with the first bloke Tim Mathieson

From the 10th to the 24th October Mr Steve Widders, former NACCHO chair Dr Mick Adams (see Bio’s below) and others will travel from Brisbane to Sydney in order to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy family.

The project named ‘Walk and Ride Widders’ will be a walking and cycling challenge from Brisbane to Sydney.

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Major townships and cities along the route will benefit from free health checks and motivational workshops courtesy of our travelling health check bus.

Mr Tim Mathieson, in his capacity as a Men’s Health Ambassador and Patron of the Australian Men’s Shed Association officially announced the Walk and Ride Widders event in Armidale on the 14th June during Men’s Health Week (11th – 17th June).

Strongly supported by NACCHO, Walk and Ride Widders is an invitation for all Australian men and their families to realise their personal obligations and responsibility to each other and more importantly to take a definite decision to make a difference and improve their physical, mental, spiritual and environmental health.

Starting in Brisbane and finishing in Sydney, Steve and Mick will be joined by celebrities along the way who will assist in spreading the message of the importance of family health. 

The project has a number of core aims, namely;

• To raise awareness of the importance of family heath and healthy communities.
• To raise funds for community health projects and initiatives.
• To motivate men to be more responsible in relation to their own health and as a result the well being of their families.
• To highlight the importance of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers to be more aware of their personal health and importantly their responsibility and obligations to their families and communities; to emphasise their value as men in their family and community.
• To raise awareness of men’s health by engaging with partners such as the Aboriginal community controlled health services, Medicare Local (formally Division of General Practices), Men’s Group and other appropriate organisations to conduct motivational workshops and health checks (available to all) in the township along the route.

Mr Steve Widders

Steve Widders is a middle aged (56) man who was diagnosed by the late Fred hollows as legally and medically blind 20 years ago. Steve Widders is one of a vibrant new generation of emerging leaders meeting challenges and inspiring others. Steve Widders became despondent and lost his self-confidence when he went blind but he decided to undertake leadership training which, among other things, inspired him to walk the entire Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.

”Following personal mental health issues including depression and suicidal tendencies I realised nothing would change unless I changed so I set out to turn adversity into a more positive mode. In doing so, I became aware of my obligation as a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend and colleague to provide support and direction to others in my life.”

Steve Widders has appeared on numerous television channels and international newspapers, promoting the importance of a health mind, body and community. Steve now sets a new challenge in Walk and Ride with Widders in the hope of further promoting healthy communities.

Dr Mick Adams

Mick Adams is a descendent of the Yadhiagana people of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland having traditional family ties with the Gringji people of Central Western Northern Territory. Dr Mick Adams is an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). He has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to the advancement of Indigenous health. Mick’s 30 year career has been dedicated to closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through properly resourced and appropriate health services as part of the overall community development needed to ensure Indigenous people are a part of Australia’s future. 

Dr Adams has held a range of positions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations, representative organisations and government departments over his career. In the past ten years, Dr Adams has held a number of senior positions including Chairperson of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) (2007-2009); Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Forum (2001-2003); and General Manager of both the Brisbane Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service (1997-1999) and Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation (1999- 2000). 

Dr Mick Adams holds a PhD from QUT and a Master of Arts (Indigenous Research & Development), Centre for Aboriginal Studies, Curtin University of Technology. Prior to undertaking his postgraduate studies he undertook at Bachelor of Social Work, a Bachelor of Applied Science (Aboriginal Community Management and Development), an Associate Diploma in Social Work and a Community Development Certificate.