Olympian Libby Trickett on R U OK? and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone

hello • 20 January 2017

Ambassador Libby Trickett is diving in to make a difference for R U OK? at the Port to Pub, Australia’s longest open water swim. She’ll be completing the 25km crossing from Leighton Beach to Rottnest Island to inspire more life-changing conversations. We spoke with Libby about what it takes to push yourself out of your comfort zone, how to garner support when you’re struggling and why she became an R U OK? Ambassador.

Q. Can you tell us a little about why being an ambassador for R U OK? is something you’re passionate about?

A. Maintaining good mental health and checking in with mates is so important. Tough times effect everyone at some point and you probably already know someone who has struggled with life and needed support.

Checking in with our mates and loved ones is something we should all do regularly. It’s important to encourage people to get comfortable talking and opening up, because life is challenging. Everyone deserves to live a happy life!

As an R U OK? Ambassador it’s important to me to encourage people to reach out to mates who might be in a bad place and let them know they are not alone. If we are able to talk openly and honestly about our problems, it’s more likely our friends, loved ones, team mates and even neighbours, will seek help and feel more connected to the people in their lives who matter most.

Q. Your background is that of a sprinter not a long distance swimmer, but how do you prepare for a race mentally, long or short? What kind of focus do you need to complete your best swim?

A. I think it’s important to know what your goal is. From there, it’s a lot easier to work out what you need to do for your preparation. It’s a lot easier to commit the time you need to your goal and that means you’re able to maintain focus as well.

Q. When you were swimming competitively, what kind of support did you have in place when you were under the pump or struggling?

A. I was so lucky with the support that I had. This came from squad mates, family, friends and my hubby! Working towards a goal is so much more difficult when you don’t have a support network to cheer you on when things become challenging. So, make sure you tell people what you’re working towards and create your own little support crew!

Q. Do you have an example of a time in your swimming career when you mentally hit a wall and needed someone to ask if you were ok, and did that help you get back on track?

A. Without a doubt! This was a regular occurrence for me because training can be hard. Setting goals and trying to achieve that can be incredibly difficult so for me, it was really important to check in with my coach regularly to make sure I was staying motivated and focused. I also checked in with my hubby to help me vent the frustrations that inevitably come with physically pushing yourself to your limits.

Q. What quality do Olympic swimmers have that make them the best?

A. I think Olympic swimmers have to be incredibly focused and motivated. We don’t get to race that often and train anywhere between 4-6 months for one competition and in that competition I only race for 53 seconds. So we don’t get a lot of opportunities to perform, which is both incredibly exciting and also very intimidating. We can be pretty intense people but, for the most part, we are very lighthearted and generally have a pretty good sense of humour too! Though I am a little biased… haha!

Q. What training advice would you give to those swimming in Port to Pub?

A. I think for any kind of distance event whether it be on land or in the water, consistency is key. Regular training, staying in touch with the water as much as you possibly can and clocking up the k’s will put everyone in a very good position to achieve their goal of swimming the Port to Pub. I would also recommend joining a squad as opposed to doing it solo. If you join a squad, you’re more likely to get to training as you have someone making you accountable plus you get a built-in cheer squad and other people working towards their own swimming goals.

You can show your support for Libby and team R U OK? here: http://porttopub.gofundraise.com.au/

Announcement from the CEO, Katherine Newton

by Katherine Newton • 16 October 2025
After ten years of teamwork, partnerships, growth, and countless conversations, I will be stepping down as CEO from 1 December 2025. It has been an extraordinary privilege to contribute to the growth of this movement and to witness meaningful change before my eyes. Gavin Larkin founded R U OK? because he believed conversation has the power to change lives. One seemingly simple question, when asked with genuine intent and care, can start a meaningful and sometimes complex conversation. And that’s what Gavin wanted. For people to look beyond responses of “I’m fine” or “All good” and ask, “Are you really OK?”. The notion of going deeper with conversations, of asking a second time, of trusting our guts and moving past our hesitation - is being grasped and moving beyond one day to any day. Whilst saying “G’day how are you?” will always be a greeting - we can do more. When Gavin lost his father to suicide he wanted to try and protect other families from the pain his endured. He wanted to get people talking and having real chats about how they’re feeling with their mates, their family and their colleagues. In locker rooms, lunch rooms, and lounge rooms across the nation. But he approached it from a different angle. Gavin wanted all of us to have the confidence to support the people we care about who might be struggling with life. To make conversations a natural part of our behaviour, to openly show our signals of support. So as R U OK? generations continue to evolve, my chapter is coming to a close. How fortunate I am to have been part of the story. From hesitant glances during presentations in 2015 to queues of people waiting for a conversation in 2025. From yellow wigs in the office, to welcoming yellow-swathed Ambassadors to share their lived experience. From yellow coffee cups in a café, to yellow cars driving into communities nationwide. And yes, there’s been a few cupcakes along the way. Social change is happening, and we are all a part of it. No one organisation can prevent suicide, no one individual can save everyone - but the power of many can make a difference.
Michelle Heyman on the field.

Michelle Heyman on speaking out and starting over

8 October 2025
Matildas forward Michelle Heyman talks about how one of the most challenging transitions of her life became the most transformative, thanks to the support of her fiancée Christine.
Five R U OK? Community Ambassadors pose in park wearing black and yellow R U OK? t shirts

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25 September 2025
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