A high-profile Queenslander has been living in relative anonymity since moving to our region with her partner earlier this year. But this month, that’s all set to change.
With the launch of a Movember challenge the community can rally behind — and her pre-season training debut with the Mornington Bulldogs footy club — locals will soon know the name Paris Lightfoot.
In recognition of her influential contribution to the movement, 28-year-old Paris was recently named a Movember Ambassador. Her commitment to the cause carries deep personal significance.
On Christmas Day 2022, her father’s suicide shook her world and sent shockwaves through the Queensland fashion industry. Her parents were Brisbane’s “Golden Couple” of the 1990s — her father, Daniel, a celebrated fashion designer; and her mother, Suzie, a top model and his muse. Paris had already known friends who’d lost loved ones to mental health struggles, but now she understood their pain firsthand.
Determined to take action, she threw herself into building awareness around men’s mental health. In 2023, she founded the ACTV Run for Resilience, a charity event named after her gym. Since its inception, the event has expanded to multiple cities and raised more than $25,000.
In August, Paris attended a workshop at Movember’s Richmond headquarters. One of just ten women – affectionately called Mo Sistas – among sixty nationwide participants, she inspired others to step up and champion the cause. Sisters, mothers, daughters, wives, and work colleagues all play a vital role in supporting the mental health of the men around them.
In honour of the 60 men lost to suicide every hour, Paris has created the MO.ve for Resilience campaign — a 60km, 24-hour challenge to be held at Mornington Park on November 8–9.
“Together we’ll run, walk, ski or row 60km in 24 hours,” she said. “And I’ll be taking it on myself with a 24-hour MO-Athlon challenge: running, skiing and rowing.”
A key player and former captain of the Bond University Bull Sharks, Paris was part of the core group that fought for the introduction of a women’s Australian rules team at the university in 2015 — and its eventual inclusion in the QAFLW league. Her commitment to the club was recognised this year with an award named in her honour, and in September she returned to the Gold Coast to present the Paris Lightfoot Club Person of the Year Award.
“I do this for my dad. I do this for every man we’ve lost. And I do this for anyone who feels like they’re carrying it all alone, because no one should have to,” Paris said. “Supporting Movember means starting real conversations, backing our mates, and showing that together we can make a difference.”
To follow Paris’s Movember crusade or request her as a speaker at your corporate or community event, visit parislightfoot.com or follow her on Instagram at @parislightfoot.
