For Gary Ledson (BSportHlthPhysAct ’25), movement has always been part of life.
“As a kid I have vague memories of wanting to go out the door first thing,” he laughs. “I probably skipped breakfast a few times, but I just wanted to get outside – riding my bike, kicking a ball, seeing friends. That was my world.”
Gary grew up in Liverpool in the 1970s, in a close-knit working-class neighbourhood where the shipbuilding industry was part of everyday life. “My grandparents lived in the same street,” he recalls. “I had uncles, my dad, my grandfather – they all worked at the docks. We lived near a soccer stadium and on match days you could hear the roar of the soccer crowd from where we lived. It was busy, noisy, but it gave me this sense of freedom and community.”
That early environment shaped him. “People didn’t have a lot of money, but they supported each other. I think I’ve taken that into my life – that sense of connection matters. Some of my best memories are of laughing with someone or helping someone out. Those things stick.”
It was Gary’s dad, who went from working on the docks to doing some maintenance work at a hospital, who suggested that he consider nursing. It wasn’t something Gary had ever considered as a career choice, but felt it was a good fit for someone who likes to spend time with people.
He moved to Adelaide after a career in nursing in the UK, first in child and adolescent mental health and later in adult mental health. The connection to Adelaide was more than coincidence, it was family history.
“I had a lot of friends who were travelling overseas around that time. My grandmother was from Semaphore,” he explains. “She married my grandfather here in the 1920s before they moved back to Liverpool. So I always knew about Adelaide, even as a kid. It just felt like a place I was meant to explore.”
After years of working in mental health, Gary found himself ready for a new challenge. “Working in mental health can be hard, and I remember feeling fatigued,” he admits. “I thought, ‘I need to do something different; something needs to change.’ That’s when I enrolled in the Bachelor of Sport at Flinders.”
The degree turned out to be exactly what he needed. “It re-energised me,” Gary says. “I loved the outdoor education topics. Spending time with people, building relationships – it reminded me why I value movement and connection so much. It gave me the language to articulate what I’d been thinking about for years, like how our lifestyles are too sedentary. We drive to work, sit all day, then maybe go to the gym but that’s not enough. We need movement built into our day.”
While studying health promotion at Flinders, Gary discovered the power of data in driving real change. “We were learning how to argue for a service, how to use evidence, census data, demographics, even WHO reports, to make a case for funding,” he explains.
Gary gathered census data, consumer feedback, and local statistics, then presented a strong case for running adolescent support groups at Noarlunga. The result was the establishment of new programs that are still running today. “If I hadn’t been involved in that, those groups wouldn’t exist,” Gary says proudly. “That experience really showed me that I could create lasting change.”
He’s still working in mental health and putting what he learned into practice in his own workplace. “I’ve been talking with managers about ways to get people moving more,” he says. “I’ve run training sessions on why we don’t always need to sit in an office. We can walk with clients. It’s better for their mental health and ours.”
Gary’s passion for movement extends well beyond work. “I’m really drawn to ideas like the walking school bus and the discovery walks,” he says. “It’s not just about walking – it’s about kids making friends, parents connecting, creating roles within the group. That’s the stuff that excites me.”
He also hopes to work more closely with councils on projects that encourage people to explore their neighbourhoods. “When I did my placement with Marion Council, I planned discovery walks,” Gary explains. “I scouted routes, then walked them with the group. It amazed me how many hidden places were within a kilometre of where we started. People need a purpose to leave the house: a walk, a garden, a meeting spot. Once they connect, they want to keep doing it.”
Walking has become central to Gary’s philosophy. “When you walk with a group, there’s a natural flow. People talk to different people, conversations just happen,” he says. “It’s not like sitting in a room where everyone stays in the same spot. Walking creates connection.”
Gary’s degree is now complete, and his plans are evolving. “I feel there’s more for me to do,” he reflects. “I’ve got ideas bubbling away. Maybe setting up community projects, maybe coaching soccer again, maybe helping people connect with boats. I have a sailboat, and I really enjoy taking friends and their kids out sailing. Whatever it is, it will be about opening doors for people. Helping them find a new way to see their world, even if it’s just taking a different path to school or work.”
For Gary, movement is more than exercise. It’s a way to connect, to discover, and to thrive. “Some of the best memories I have with my kids are of walking together,” he says. “Those moments remind me that connection to each other and to the places we live is what really keeps us well.”