General News
2 October, 2026
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LIKE many others in the community, Nathan McKane lives a life that has been impacted by suicide.
This inspirational man, who finds satisfaction and solice in finding time for others, signed up to an R U OK? month-long campaign back in 2023 on a “spur of the moment decision.”
But what transpired since has been an incredible community effort.
“Living a life that has been impacted by suicide, I really wanted to turn that pain into a purpose,” he said.
“The K’s for R U OK? campaign is a month-long campaign where you set a target goal, both in distance walked and money raised.
“You then get out there and undertake the campaign at your own pace. Every kilometre covered and every dollar raised goes into providing the community with educational resources and both online and physical toolkits to help create conversations around suicide prevention and how you can go about checking in on a friend.”
Nathan was bestowed the honour of being the 2025 Warrnambool Citizen of the Year for his commitment and determination to put such a hard topic into the public space and to help facilitate awareness and conversations around suicide and suicide prevention.
Nathan also received a Wannon Electorate Outstanding Volunteer award in 2025.
In 2024, he helped get the R U OK? Conversation Roadshow to Warrnambool and said it was a great moment to see members of the community support the visit.
“Receiving such awards is an acknowledgement of what a community can achieve,” he said.
Nathan has been named the ambassador for the 2026 campaign, which kicked off yesterday (October 1).
“This will be my third consecutive year as an ambassador,” he said.
“It’s really rewarding to be involved with, and be supportive of, so many other everyday people who are just having a go at making a difference.”
This year, Nathan will be aiming to cover 100km and raise $1000.
“As much as this is my campaign to undertake, having a walk and a talk with peers and like-minded community members is what really drew me to the campaign,” he said.
“I can sometimes find it hard to talk about why I signed up, and I know others share similar stories, but it’s important to allow people to be vulnerable, grieve and reflect, in a safe and supportive space.
“People don’t need to know me to donate or to follow my campaign. There is an anonymous option on my support page which may be useful for those who may wish to contribute but don’t want others to know about it.
“Like me, we all have different motivations around raising awareness and continuing to help facilitate conversations around suicide and suicide prevention.
“If people see me out and about this month in my bright yellow shirt, feel free to say g’day because, at the end of the day, we are all in this together.”
