New habits. New crew. New story.

Recovery is about more than stopping. It's about filling the hours, the friendships and the sense of purpose that alcohol or other drugs used to take up. Our founder has walked that road. Through The Ropes offers structure, fitness and a crew that has your back.

By the numbers

Alcohol and other drugs in Australia.

127,800people received publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment in 2024-25Source: AIHW, Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2024-25: insights
Up to 470,000more people needed treatment and didn't get it in 2023 (estimated 208,000 to 470,000)Source: Ritter and O'Reilly (2025), unmet demand for alcohol and other drug treatment, Drug and Alcohol Review (record)
2,005drug-induced deaths in Australia in 2024Source: ABS, Deaths from external causes, 2024
4 in 5people entering prison had used illicit drugs in the previous yearSource: AIHW, Health of people in Australia's prisons 2025: illicit drug use

The picture

Use, harm and treatment.

Principal drug of concern in treatment episodes for people's own use, 2024-25. Source: AIHW, Alcohol and other drug treatment services 2024-25: trends in drugs of concern

Used an illicit drug in the past 12 months: people entering prison (2025) and all Australians aged 14 and over (2022-23). Source: AIHW, Health of people in Australia's prisons 2025: illicit drug use; AIHW, National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023: summary

Behind the numbers

Addiction is a health issue, not a character flaw.

Alcohol is still the drug most people seek help for. One in four Australians drinks more than ten standard drinks a week on average, and almost one in five has used an illicit drug in the past year.

Problem use is often a way of coping with pain: trauma, grief, mental ill health or isolation. That's why recovery works best when it replaces what the drug was doing, with structure, purpose, health and people.

Treatment works, but it is hard to get. About 127,800 people got publicly funded treatment in 2024-25, while researchers estimate that between 208,000 and 470,000 more needed it in 2023 and missed out.

How Through The Ropes can help

Something to say yes to.

A healthy high

Hard training lifts mood and eases stress and cravings for many people. It's a natural reward the brain learns to look for.

Days with shape

Set sessions, a cohort and goals. Structure is one of the best things to put in the space old habits leave.

Lived experience in the corner

Michael has spoken openly about addiction. Mentors who understand recovery, without judgement.

Alongside treatment

We'll work with alcohol and other drug services. Exercise supports treatment; it never replaces it.

Potential for impact

What the evidence says.

Exercise alongside treatment. A review of 22 randomised trials found exercise improved abstinence rates, eased withdrawal symptoms and lowered anxiety and depression for people with substance use disorders. Most trials were older and from one country, so results may not transfer everywhere.Source: Wang et al. (2014), Impact of physical exercise on substance use disorders: a meta-analysis, PLoS One
Exercise eases depression. A 2024 BMJ review of 218 trials with over 14,000 people found exercise reduced depression, with more vigorous exercise doing better. Many of the trials were small or at risk of bias, so the certainty is rated low, but the direction is consistent.Source: Noetel et al. (2024), Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis, BMJ
Structured sport programmes and crime. A 2023 meta-analysis found sport programmes for prevention and rehabilitation had a moderate effect on offending, and a large effect on self-esteem and wellbeing. But simply playing sport is not linked with less offending: it's the structure, mentoring and support around the sport that count.Source: Jugl, Bender and Losel (2023), Do sports programs prevent crime and reduce reoffending? Journal of Quantitative Criminology

Honest about what we know. Reviews show exercise can help people in treatment with mood, fitness and in some studies with cutting down, but results for staying off alcohol or drugs are mixed. We see the programme as one support in a wider recovery plan, and we'll measure honestly.

What we will measure with every cohort, and publish:

Who starts, who finishes, and why people leave early
Wellbeing and mood at week 1, week 10 and three months later, using a standard validated scale
Fitness and attendance: sessions completed out of thirty
Next steps at three and six months: work, study, training, sport, housing
Self-reported alcohol and other drug use, alongside the treatment service's own measures

Treatment or recovery service?

Refer someone in recovery, or talk to us about a cohort for your clients.

Refer someone Talk partnership

Sources

Figures are the latest published at the time of writing (October 2026). Back to Who we help.