Our Story
How it started
Our why
What we do
Support Services
Our Community & Partners
Ski for Life is a community-led charity supporting rural mental health and suicide prevention. We fund practical, local initiatives through our grants program and support projects that strengthen wellbeing and connection across rural and regional communities.​​
Ski for Life began as an annual water skiing relay along the Murray River, a three-day journey from Murray Bridge to Renmark. What started as a bold challenge quickly became something bigger: a community built on mateship, storytelling, and showing up for one another.
Rural communities face unique pressures, isolation, distance, and limited access to support. Mental health challenges don’t discriminate, and too often, people feel like they have to carry it alone.
Ski for Life exists to help change that. We create space for conversation and connection, and we back community-led initiatives that support people where they live.
Ski for Life’s impact extends beyond one weekend each year. Through our grants program and community-led projects, we support initiatives that:
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Promote mental health and wellbeing
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Encourage help-seeking and reduce stigma
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Strengthen community connection
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Deliver practical outcomes in rural and regional areas
We’re proud to work alongside organisations that provide professional support. StandBy Support After Suicide offers assistance to individuals, families and communities impacted by suicide, including throughout rural and regional areas.
Ski for Life is powered by volunteers, local communities, and supporters who help make this work possible, from individuals and service groups to businesses that stand alongside our mission.
If you’d like to learn more, partner with us, or discuss how you can support our work, we’d love to hear from you.