Supporting Hayley Verbunt’s promotion of positive mental health
Australian Olympic Rowing team member and Mercantile Rowing Club’s Hayley Verbunt is trading her seat in the boat for a swim/ride/run, taking on Australia’s oldest triathlon, the Nepean Triathlon, in November 2026, to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute.
23-year-old Hayley was a member of the Australian Women’s Eight that took fourth place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and is using the triathlon challenge to raise funds and spark vital conversations about positive mental health outcomes.
The Black Dog Institute is an independent not-for-profit and globally renowned mental health research institute connected to the University of New South Wales. With suicide as the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, access to funding for research aimed to target prevention and treatment of mental illness is integral to supporting the health and wellness of young Australians.
Hayley’s fundraiser specifically supports the Institute’s focus on the treatment and prevention of mental illness through groundbreaking research.
A mission rooted in lived experience
For Hayley, this fundraiser is deeply personal. Over recent years she has candidly shared her own history with depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
By completing the triathlon, Hayley aims to:
Destigmatise mental illness: Use her platform as an elite athlete to prove that mental health struggles do not define a person’s potential.
Support research: Raise money for the Black Dog Institute's research into the treatment and prevention of mental illness across Australia.
Encourage vulnerability: Model the importance of sharing lived experiences to help others feel less alone.
From the coxswain's seat to the triathlon arena
As a 2024 Olympian and multiple national team member, Hayley is no stranger to intense pressure as a high performance athlete. However, transitioning to a triathlon represents a new physical frontier. While a coxswain must remain still and focused during a race to maintain boat stability and syncopation, the triathlon will require her to navigate the swim, cycle, and run legs herself - a symbolic shift from leading others as a coxswain to pushing her own personal physical boundaries for a cause she deeply believes in.
Broader impact
Beyond her personal fundraising, Hayley serves as an ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport Mental Fitness Program, visiting schools to teach young Australians evidence-based strategies for mental wellbeing. With research from the Black Dog Institute showing that over 75 per cent of mental health issues emerge before age 25, Hayley’s work focuses on early intervention and to building resilience for young Australians.
Hayley’s journey is a powerful reminder that even those at the pinnacle of their sport can face internal battles. Through ‘Hayley's TRI 4 BDI’ she continues to turn her head, heart and passion toward a positive future, where mental health is destigmatised and proving that mental health struggles do not define a person’s potential and future outcomes.
Please consider supporting Hayley’s fundraising efforts here: https://www.teamblackdog.org.au/s/39482/41428/e
About the Black Dog Institute – ‘we’re for better mental health’
Black Dog Institute is a proudly independent not-for-profit globally renowned mental health research institute connected to UNSW Sydney.
The Institute is the only medical research institute in Australia that investigates mental health across the lifespan - from childhood to adulthood.
The Black Dog Institute believes in creating hope for those experiencing mental illness by improving mental health outcomes for all Australians.
To follow Hayley’s training progress and for other interesting Hayley articles: https://hayleyverbunt.substack.com/
To view Hayley’s Rowing Australia Bio: https://rowingaustralia.com.au/bio-hayley-verbunt-oly
To learn more about the Black Dog Institute: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
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