t IT OUT a e w S
Finding connection and being vulnerable isn’t common in male culture, but Jesse Malthouse is creating a space for men to share their struggles. Georgia Beard discovers how his fitness program, The Boys Social Collective, challenges what it means to be masculine.
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psychological distress in 2017–18, a number which increased to 15% in 2020-21.
omineering, aggressive, unbreakable. These are the markers of masculinity as men know it – a standard set by generations of fathers and expected by generations of mates.
Jesse’s recognition of how social and emotional isolation could damage men’s mental health led to his desire to create a safe space where conscious men could delve deeper, seek answers and grow as human beings.
In Australia’s sporting fields and stadiums, men have never embodied it more. The sports culture demands unyielding strength and invulnerability, which lasts long after players have stepped off the grass.
In November 2021, he launched The Boys Social Club, a place to sweat, grow and connect through physical exercise and breathwork. He saw the potential for sport and group environments to lift men out of their struggles rather than push them down.
Involved in AFL games and clubs for years, Jesse Malthouse is familiar with this culture. When he experienced his own emotional struggles, his mates didn’t appear to be going through anything similar. Struggling just wasn’t ‘normal’. “I always thought it was my issue, like it was something wrong with me,” he said. “In these groups and footie clubs, there can be a heavy influence of drugs and alcohol. Fitness and mental health are not really talked about.” Staying silent about emotional weakness has given rise to problems in men’s mental health. In 2015-16, Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health found 25% of Australian men experienced a diagnosed mental health disorder in their lifetime. The study also revealed 4% of men had Hello Sunshine Magazine
no close friends; they lacked social support – someone to rely on, confide in and seek advice from. As a result, lonely men were twice as likely as non-lonely men to have thought about suicide or made a suicide plan in the past year of the study. With social issues piling up in recent years, it’s not surprising to see these numbers jump. The Australian Bureau of Statistics noted 13% of adults experienced high or very high levels of 20
“I find it easier to talk about things that are happening in my life after I’ve had that physical activity,” he said. “You’ve got the energy flowing, the blood pumping. “For guys, it’s important to have that release for your health. It gets everything out and flowing so it’s not so stagnant. Then when you have those conversations, it just comes out. You don’t have to think about it.” The Boys SC is built on three pillars – Growth, Movement and Connection. During sessions, men challenge their physical capacity with movement and exercise and find mental clarity by
PHOTOS: MEGAN GILL
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