Reflections: Aotearoa Men's Wellbeing Summit 2026

Change doesn’t come from doing the same thing all the time.

It comes from having the courage to take one step forward, and do one thing differently.

We change the world from the inside - out.

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 45 men stepped in to the circle at the Aotearoa Men’s Wellbeing Summit. A carefully curated space of recalibration, learning and transformation in nature, held by a brotherhood of lived experience.

From the beginning, the kōrero was honest, moving, vulnerable, deep and inspiring.

In the circle were changemakers at the forefront of men’s health, elders sharing their wisdom, men with a lifetime of this sort of mens work, together with men taking a break from carrying the load, and plenty of men who were just finding things a bit tough at the moment. Regardless of where we were at in our wellbeing journey, we all needed a dose of brotherhood. We all stepped in at the same level without judgement.

To be challenged. To be witnessed. To be heard. To be uplifted. To be nourished.

Three days with phones off, dialled into the present, collaboration, cocreation and inspiring connection. An opportunity to look at our unlimited potential.

Some of the nuggets we took away:

-Jono Ridler - “a big journey starts with just one stroke”

-Prof Grant Schofield - “Choose your hard”

-Jemarl Paerata - “what is your big vision?”

-Mike O’Donnell “look after the waters, and the waters will look after you”

-Sean O’Connor - who inspired us to sing our own song

-Rob Mokaraka “remember to take a breath brothers”

Thank you to all the men who leant in with an open mind and an open heart and expressed their gifts to the world.

Special thanks to my darling Tia for holding down the operational side of this mission and helping to hold space for all these men.