A WARRNAMBOOL initiative helping returned veterans and their families foster their mental and physical well-being has made waves across the country.
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Each week, twice a week, veterans from around Australia join Warrnambool vets in a fitness class via Zoom through RSL Active Warrnambool.
The homegrown program was the brainchild of south-west veteran Adam Kent, who noticed a gap in connectivity for returned servicemen and women in the region.
"We've been running the fitness program for veterans for 18 months and when RSL Victoria saw what we were doing locally they wanted to get it run state-wide," he said.
"We have good conversations before and after the sessions, it's all about peer connection and support, keeping fit, healthy and connected through this period.
"Veterans are trained up to be hyper vigilant and it's hard to unwind from that, anxiety and isolation is often an issue without COVID and has probably been a bit amplified in isolation, that feeling of everything being out of control and not knowing the certainties."
He said the best outcome of RSL Active Warrnambool was the increased dialogue around mental health, particularly for men.
"One of the real positives at our group is we are all comfortable to talk about mental health with each other as men," he said.
"People even two or three years ago with big mental health issues might have ended up hospitalised but now with more conversations and peer support there's early intervention, instead of being at home suffering alone and only reaching out in a crisis.
"We veterans have got a lot to learn when it comes to fitting back in but the community can also learn a lot from us.
"This program is an example of how such a positive approach has now created state-wide discussion.
"Even in Canberra at the highest levels of the military people have noticed what's been going on in this region and it's an exciting opportunity for all veterans to join in."
To engage other members of the community, special guests will be invited to join in each session.
This week South West Coast MP Roma Britnell will join the team at the Warrnambool Army Barracks.
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