Meet Jordan Harper - Tomorrow Man Workshop Facilitator

Jordan Harper

Tomorrow Man Workshop Facilitator

The AFL’s loss was our gain. When Jordan’s dream of a footy career didn’t work out, watching Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland’s ‘Man Up’ documentary led to a new dream in 2021 – delivering life-changing Tomorrow Man workshops (including one where 50 cricketers gave 2,500 hugs in 10 minutes!).

The journey begins

I grew up in Canberra loving sport, playing Aussie Rules. I moved to Melbourne to pursue an AFL career, but it didn’t work out.

I watched 'Man Up’ – and decided that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. Help young men know they can be their authentic self without having to apologise to anyone.

I loved my footy, but I was always a bit softer, not as hard as some of the guys, and I didn’t know how to be my authentic self in those male-dominated spaces.

I would bite my lip if someone’s banter went too far. I wouldn’t wear a shirt that I wanted to. It was like I was wearing a mask. 

I had a ‘mask moment’ at a mate’s funeral, someone I had grown up with. My mum and dad were crying, but I didn’t want to. I forced myself not to. It was a pivotal moment for me. I thought about it a lot. And it’s what eventually led me to Tomorrow Man.

I came to understand if you want to live a full life, you have to be your real, authentic self.

Changing times and changing lives

Tomorrow Man has given me a special platform. The sense of purpose drives me every day. I love that we get to change lives on a daily basis. I wake up with a smile on my face knowing that’s what I get to do.

I have witnessed lives change right in front of me in workshops from Melbourne and Canberra, to Alice Springs and small towns across regional Victoria – the Macedon Ranges, Gippsland, Warrnambool, Leongatha – including communities that had suffered a lot with suicide.

I worked with a cricket club that had chosen an incredible theme for the year – ‘More love, more hugs’.

At one point in the workshop, all 50 cricketers gave every other bloke a hug – 2,500 hugs in 10 minutes. To witness the amount of love, respect and affection in the room was astonishing. I was very moved by that.

To think that love and hugs would be a theme for a cricket club in 2024 was like nothing I’d experienced growing up around sport.

Making wellbeing a habit

I have rituals to look after my mental fitness too. When I wake up, I make a coffee and get a pen out and write down some thoughts. Anything I’m worrying about, I get down on paper.

I love running and the gym to get out of my head and into my body. I do deeper breathing and some mindfulness. My partner and I will often talk about our days over a cup of tea or on our walks together.

Those things can fall by the wayside if you don’t make them a habit, but if I have a good routine going, if I’m getting eight hours sleep, if I’m catching up a mate at the footy and ask how life is going, I stay on top of my mental fitness.

The message I leave?

I want to help people can take ownership of their lives. To build deeper connections, not just surface level chats we can have, especially as blokes, about the footy or weather. 

And to know if they are struggling, to say I need a bit of help. Because if you reach out, people will help you.

Working towards being your authentic self takes courage, but no-one else can do it for you – it has to be you.

And when you do that, you are going to be happier.

I don’t second guess what I wear anymore. If I want to channel Harry Styles and wear a pink shirt, I will.

The message from me is be yourself. The real you. Take the mask off.

You can help equip more people to live

Every donation powers Gotcha4Life to keep developing and delivering life-changing programs and initiatives to equip more people with the mental fitness skills to live.