Dragos Marcu has been pushing himself this past month, all for a good cause.
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The Deniliquin North Public School general assistant (pictured) has been dropping to do push-ups at school and at home as part of an annual charity initiative called The Push-Up Challenge.
Participants are challenged to do at least 3318 push-ups to bring awareness to mental health.
The number represents the number of people who died by suicide in Australia in 2019.
When speaking to the Pastoral Times on Wednesday Mr Marcu had already exceeded the goal, having performed 3400 push-ups since he started.
His goal is to reach around 4000 before the month is over.
Mr Marcu says he’s been enjoying the task, which he says will not only help others but also improve his sense of wellbeing.
And the students at Deni North have been offering support too, completing push-ups with him during their breaks.
‘‘I feel happier, and it feels good to work toward a goal,’’ he said.
‘‘It also keeps your brain healthy.
‘‘And the kids have really enjoyed it and have been joining in with me.’’
Mr Marcu was inspired to sign up for the challenge when he set a goal earlier this year to improve his overall fitness.
‘‘I realised early this year I couldn’t do a lot of push-ups, and I felt really disappointed in myself.
‘‘So I decided to start working on it.
‘‘Later on, my father in-law (David Rumble) mentioned the program, so I thought I’d give it a go.’’
While Mr Marcu is smashing goals in terms of push-up benchmarks, he was also happy to have raised $100 for the cause.
The challenge raises money for mental health charities, that support awareness and engagement through connection, education and health and wellbeing.
‘‘They’re all about mental health and educating on issues on a daily basis,’’ Mr Marcu said.
He added he would be keen to do the challenge again next year, and encouraged others to get involved.
‘‘I would would love to do the challenge again and get a group going in Deni,’’ he said.
■ Anyone requiring crisis support can contact Accessline on 1800 800 944 , Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Information is also available at www.denimentalhealth.org.au.
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