When Mark Burns stepped out for a walk with a few mates in Kiama, he wasn’t launching a movement.

He was looking for connection.

“I didn’t plan it,” he said. “I just knew I needed something simple, something that didn’t ask too much of anyone, but still gave people a reason to show up.”

That first walk would become The Man Walk - now operating in more than 80 locations across Australia and internationally.

Its formula is disarmingly simple: regular walks, no judgment, no pressure. You walk. You talk if you want to.

Behind the easy-going tone is a deep sense of purpose. Mark, a physiotherapist by training, lost his father at 23.

His mother later died of gallbladder cancer. Those losses made the mission personal.

“If you’ve experienced grief or mental health struggles, you know how powerful it is to feel supported,” he said. “That’s what The Man Walk does. It creates a space where you don’t have to pretend, you’re fine.”

Now full-time CEO of the growing charity, Mark’s approach is practical and people-first.

“I’m not interested in being the smartest person in the room. I want to be surrounded by people who know more than I do, who challenge me, and who care deeply.”

That thinking shaped his board, which includes professionals from tech, planning, media, and corporate leadership.

“Whether it’s business or everyday life, you build better things when the people around you complement your strengths,” he said.

Among those people is Judy Henderson, a long-time family friend and former policy advisor, who has mentored Mark through each stage of the journey.

“She reminds me what matters,” he said. “She helps me keep going with care and purpose.”

And then there’s Glenn “Ernie” Wright, a poet and long-time supporter who delivered a spoken-word tribute at The Man Walk gala that moved the crowd to tears.

Mark sees both of them - and many others - as part of what makes the charity strong. “It’s never been about me,” he said. “It’s about the people who walk beside you. Literally and figuratively.”

From a single walk in Kiama to a national movement, Mark is clear about one thing. “You don’t need fanfare,” he said. “You just need to show up and be willing to listen.”