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Aaron Woods 75/90Hard Challenge in Memory of my Dad, Alan Woods

By Aaron Woods Join Me

Prevent Stroke. Savel Lives. Enhance Recovery

Aaron Woods 75/90Hard Challenge in Memory of my Dad, Alan Woods, Stroke victim 

I am challenging myself to complete 75Hard and extending it to 90days or 3 mths. I have been on this journey for over 60 days now that started out as a challenge to test and strengthen my mental resilience of a veteran with PTSD, anxiety and depression. 

My Dad would Gee me up and tell me that he had a better 6 pack and that mine looked a lot more like a keg.

26 days into this 75Hard challenge and Dad had a major and severe stroke with bleeding to a large part of the back of the brain, and the family was called into the hospital.

Following the decision to undertake emergency surgery we spent the next 2.5 weeks at the amazing Alfred Hospital ICU in Melbourne. 

We had ups and downs during those weeks, however sadly Dad succumbed to the effects and damage caused by the initial stroke.

I am now dedicating my efforts on this 75Hard challenge in his memory.

I am fundraising in memory of Dad in hopes to help other families who have the unfortunate occurrence of being in our shoes in the future, hopefully their outcomes can be better.

As a veteran I am also raising funds for “Mates 4 Mates” to support other veterans along with Stroke Foundation Australia.

Please give as much or as little as you can.

And I am pledging to match the combined amounts of both fundraisers, dollar for dollar, up to $1k

Thank you for your support and give generously!


I’m making a difference by fundraising for Stroke Foundation to help prevent stroke, save lives and enhance recovery for survivors of stroke.

In the next 11 minutes, someone, somewhere in Australia is going to have a stroke.

Stroke is one of Australia's biggest killers and doesn't discriminate; it affects anyone, anytime. It claims more lives than breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. And incredibly, around 600 Australian children experience stroke each year.

By supporting me, you'll be contributing to sustaining vital programs and resources that Stroke Foundation provides, including:

💙 Preventing Stroke:

  • StrokeSafe Talks
  • Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check
  • Information Resources

 💙 Saving Lives:

  • F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) Signs of Stroke Awareness
  • Living Guidelines for Stroke Management
  • InformMe Website for Health Professionals

 💙 Enhancing Recovery:

  • StrokeLine
  • My Stroke Journey
  • EnableMe Website for Survivors of Stroke

Your support goes beyond just a donation; it's a lifeline for individuals at risk of stroke and survivors of stroke.

Thank you for supporting me. Together we can change the state of stroke in Australia for generations to come.

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

$142

My Goal

$1,000

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My Updates

20 days to go, and the next mental battle kicks in.

Friday 11th Jul
4 days left of the 75 and 20 days left in the month. The mental and physical achievements are incredible, however this morning my mental demons came back at the gym. The negative head speak started up again, but this time I didn’t get caught up in it, I reminded myself that this is what happens when you get close to achieving or accomplishing something, the head tries to get in your way and question you, cause doubt to see if you truly want it. It’s like the last hurdle to get over when reaching the end of the race. So now I take this vital information with me in my journey and will remind myself, everything my head starts saying I’m not good enough I’ll ask “What am I about to accomplish next?”

Amazing physical changes

Friday 4th Jul

Amazing physical changes

Friday 4th Jul
So during this challenge Emily and I have been aiming to get a body scan weekly to track our body transformations, and yesterday, 3rd July, blew me away at the current readings.
Can I first start by say that I never started this challenge for the physical goals or transformation, the numbers are something that concern me and I just figured there would be some physical change, progress and transformation, but noting like what I saw on the readings yesterday.



In 64 days I have gone from 97.7kg to 86.3kg, but what is so much more phenomenal is that my body fat has dropped to 5% or 4.3kg, with my visceral fat (the yucky stuff that hangs on your organs) down to 400g!!!!!

I now have a physical goals or by the end of this challenge! Get rid of all my visceral fat!!!!

My Why

Friday 4th Jul

EVERY CHALLENGE IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY AND INSPIRATION TO SHOW YOUR GREATNESS!!!

Everything I try to do in life leads me back to helping others and putting them first, sometimes at the cost of myself however I’m working on that, and in undertaking the #75Hard challenge to better myself and strengthen my Mental Resilience I have again found myself thinking of others and doing all I can to help and support, and the added extra of personal tragedy highlighted this again, to help others who are going through what we did or help prevent them having too.

I am in the midst of the 75Hard challenge which has been extended to 3 mths, ending 31st July 2025, supported by @infinitygroupau @becholm @graeme_holm & @coachnickmccallum. I undertook this journey firstly to support my better half @ fat2fitwithem, then understanding it was a mental challenge I dug in to better myself and help my mental strength to help with my coping mechanisms of being a veteran with PTSD, Anxiety and Depression.

A month into the journey and tragedy struck our family and my Dad was rushed to hospital following a major stroke with significant bleeding on the brain to areas of the cerebellum and brain stem, he was rushed to emergency surgery and given 50/50 chance. He made it through the surgery and then it was a long nearly 3 weeks of ups and downs, with our family and the amazing doctors, nurses and staff at @thealfredhospital doing everything they could and in their power until finally Dad just didn’t have the strength or fight left and we gathered by his bedside as he passed, finally void of pain and suffering and now at peace.

I vowed then to do everything I could to find a way not only to give back to other Veterans going through their own Physical and Mental battles, but also to help victims and families of Stroke to assist them in dealing with what they are or about to go through and potentially prevent other families from having to deal with this trauma.

So I have joined with @mates4mates & @strokefdn to raise funds to help where ever I can. Please give generously to one or both of these amazing causes. I am pledging to personally match the combined contributions of donations, up to $1k.

Please dig deep and give as little or as much as you can to #HelpMeHelpOthers.

Remember Challenges are just Inspiration in Wolf’s Clothing, Don’t be Scared to do Great things!!!

Thank you to my Sponsors

$54.12

Kelly S

$54.12

Gwenyth Woods

$11.65

Anonymous

Good on you Aaron, great cause. Stick with it!

$11.65

Zok Stefanovic

You’ve been an inspiration through this journey

$10

Andy Haythorpe

Respect for you and how strong you are

My Team Members