Wayne Schwass

Wayne Schwass is a formidable presence in the worlds of sports, mental health advocacy, suicide prevention and inspirational leadership. A beacon of inspiration, Wayne epitomises resilience, courage, vulnerability and an unwavering commitment to sustainable positive change.

With a career spanning 15 years in the Australian Football League (AFL), Wayne left an indelible mark as a respected athlete, known for his tenacity, silky skills and blistering speed.

From the rugged fields of AFL to the forefront of suicide prevention and mental health awareness, Wayne’s journey is testament to the transformative power of the human spirit.  It’s Wayne’s courageous battle with mental health challenges during his AFL career that truly defines his legacy. By openly sharing his own struggles with depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder in 2006, Wayne has continuously shone a bright light on the stigma associated with mental health conditions, initiating and facilitating authentic and genuine wellbeing conversations and fostering a culture of connection, openness, and acceptance.

A serial entrepreneur, Wayne started the Sunrise Foundation, a not-for-proft that delivered preventative education programs to more than 5000 year-10 secondary school students in Victoria.

Wayne has also taken on several important roles in the community including being the lead witness in the 2019 Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health System and serving as a panel member for the review of the Victorian Mental Health Act 1986 as well as being a leading voice on mental health and suicide prevention.

The Sunrise Foundation confrmed that mental health and suicide prevention, is indeed Wayne’s passion. The second iteration of Wayne’s social enterprise was founded in 2017, PukaUp.