Our Mission

We help young adults take charge of their health through prevention, early detection, and action.

Why We Exist?

Too many young adults are left out of the health conversation.

  • Preventable illnesses go undetected

  • Mental health struggles go unspoken

  • GP check-ups and self-checks don’t happen until it’s too late.

Turning 25 is a major milestone. New careers, new cities, new responsibilities. With so much going on, health often gets ignored. But it shouldn’t.

25 is the perfect age to start taking control.

  • Know your body and act on symptoms

  • Book GP check-ups and screenings

  • Start conversations and stay connected

Our goal: Make 25 the age where every young adult gets the knowledge and tools to stay alive for as long as possible.

So Why 25?

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

25 STAY ALIVE is building a culture where:

Self-checks and GP visits are routine

Early detection is the norm

Open conversations are second nature

Your health shouldn’t start at 50. It should start at 25, and never stop.

Meet the team

  • Founder

    Hugo Toovey is a testicular and bowel cancer survivor, Army Major, and a passionate mental health advocate. 

    Through his own experiences navigating serious health battles in his young adult years, he founded 25 STAY ALIVE to educate and inspire other to take control of their health before it’s too late. 

    Through his powerful keynotes and personal story, Hugo empowers people to be proactive, embrace perspective, and make every day count. 

  • Operations Manager

    Amber is the heart of 25 STAY ALIVE. A qualified nurse, wife to Hugo, and proud mum to Teddy, she’s compassionate, grounded, and always sees the best in people.

    She’s been part of 25 STAY ALIVE since the very beginning, helping turn it from an idea into what it is today. Whether she’s organising workshops, chatting with participants, or juggling life as a busy mum, Amber brings warmth and kindness to everything she does. 

  • Principal GP

    Dr Lane is currently the Principal GP and owner at The Health Hub Family GP in the seaside suburb of Glenelg and the Founder and CEO of Community GP.

    In 2018 Dr Lane launched Community GP, a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to improve access to GP services for South Australians in need.

    In the mental health space, Dr Lane worked for 18 months as a medical officer for Southern ACIS/Inner South Community Mental Health, based at Marion, where he provided emergency assessments.

  • CFO

    Gabe Fienemann is an experienced accountant at LM Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. He has a proven background in strategic business advisory, financial reporting and compliance with other Not-For-Profit entities and private enterprises.

    Gabe's passion for health advocacy stems from personal experience. Having seen firsthand how serious illness has impacted friends and family, he is deeply committed to raising awareness and promoting early detection. He brings the same care and commitment to his role as Chief Financial Officer of 25 Stay Alive, ensuring the organisation's financial health supports its life-saving mission.

  • Creative Director

    Milly is passionate about helping early stage business owners kick-start their business, and established businesses rebrand to be competitive in their fields.

    Beginning her career in the Netherlands and San Francisco, Milly is driven to help define company visions, develop and implement marketing strategies, and create networks within communities. When she's not sat at her desk, she's with her son George, enjoying the beach, yoga, and all things wellness.

  • Marketing & Content Manager

    Jack Millar is a true believer that putting your health first is the best way forward. A creative at heart, Jack works with the 25 Stay Alive team to get the word out to the masses and ensure the 25 stay alive messaging is alive and relevant!

Medical Professionals

  • Medical Doctor

  • Psychiatrist

Ambassadors

  • I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 22.

    At the beginning of 2024 I started experiencing abdominal cramping. It would come and go and didn’t really hang around. As I female I think it’s really easy to put it down to your menstrual cycle or simply that you ate something that didn’t agree with your body.

    Leading up to my diagnosis in August, the cramping became more intense and didn’t go away. I contacted my gastroenterologist, and he booked me in for a colonoscopy the following week. I was so lucky, I got in so fast. I remember being on the phone to him saying that I think I have bowel cancer, and he continued to tell me that I was too young to have cancer and it wasn’t possible. Unfortunately, my gut instinct was correct.

    In September, I had surgery, where my surgeon performed a total colectomy, which resulted in a temporary ileostomy. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes, and I had to complete 8 rounds of chemotherapy over the last 6 months.

    I was so fortunate to have had the most amazing team, who have not only been my doctors but also some of my biggest supporters. Having people who cared and understood me and went above and beyond for me is something I’ll forever be grateful for.

Advisory Board

  • Advocate

    Nick Lee joins 25 STAY ALIVE as an advisory board member, bringing invaluable experience within the charity sector and bowel cancer prevention.

    Nick established the Jodi Lee Foundation in honour of his wife, Jodi Lee, who lost her battle with bowel cancer at age 41. Since 2010 the Jodi Lee Foundation has been on a mission to empower people to take active steps to prevent bowel cancer, act quickly on symptoms and live healthy lives. They are the leading voice for bowel cancer prevention.

  • Advisory Board

    Gus Worland joins 25 STAY ALIVE as an advisory board member, bringing his passion for mental fitness and community well-being to the team.

    As the founder of Gotcha4Life and a TEDx speaker, Gus has dedicated his career to fostering connection, resilience, and support networks to improve mental health across Australia. With a background in media, public speaking and advocacy, his experience in driving impactful conversations and initiatives around mental well-being makes him a valuable addition to the 25 STAY ALIVE mission.