The Good Human Factory was founded by professional surfer, Cooper Chapman in 2020. After watching his sister lose multiple friends to suicide in her last year of high school, he had to do something about it, so The Good Human Factory was born.
Cooper's high school workshops have been well received by over 20,000 students and 2000 corporates since 2020, he also runs one of the fastest growing podcasts in Australia - making mental health cool and relatable for young Aussies something that we are Delfina are incredibly passionate about.
We at Delfina work with a lot of high-schools, whether supporting athletes through our Delfina Athlete Program or supporting sporting programs in clubs or schools that aim to give students an outlay.
When the opportunity came up to partner with the Good Human Factory to create an epic Summer swimwear range, we were beyond excited! We can’t wait to spread the positive message and help our Delfina community become more mindful.
We sat down with founder Cooper to hear a bit about his story and some advice for athletes.
What is the Good Human Factory and why did you start it?
It is a mental health organisation I created aiming to challenge the way we think about mental health and to make mental health cool. After having some family history with mental illness and my little sister losing a few friends to suicide I decided I need to do something about it. I have now run workshops with over 20,000 students and 2,000 corporates sharing my message. As well as creating a podcast and merch to help spread the message.
What does the Good Human Factory & the messaging on the swimwear mean to you?
I think we all need that little reminder from time to time to be Kind to Our Mind. This message is so simple yet so powerful. Using clothing items to spread positive messaging I think is the future.
I’ve seen some incredible people supporting and advocating for the Good Human Factory. How do these individuals impact not only yourself but also those who follow the organisation?
I think having a range of inspiring humans sharing our message shows that mental health doesn’t discriminate. It is something we all have and something we all need to take care of. Having likeminded individuals help promote this message of making mental health cool I believe is a key way to change the narrative of what a mental health organisation can do.
How important is it to raise awareness for the mental health of athletes?
I think as athletes we put so much pressure on ourself to succeed. As a professional surfer myself I really struggled with this, that’s why I am so passionate to teach young athletes there is so much more to life and if we can anchor our wellbeing to our values rather than our successes it is a much healthier way to live.
If you have one piece of advice for a young person who might be struggling, what would it be?
Seek help, I think sharing your struggles with others is the first step. But also build awareness around what things am I doing daily to maintain good wellbeing, and if you are taking some ownership of your own mental health.
