Sweat with Pride 2026: how we made Pride Month count
by Jake Smith (he/him), Marketing and Engagement Manager, Rainbow Giving Australia
Sweaty Bettys at a Sweat Saturday event in Sydney’s Inner West
When I joined Rainbow Giving Australia, Sweat with Pride was the program I was most excited to work on. I had participated the year prior and loved its combination of personal wellbeing, community connection and meaningful impact.
In 2026, that unique blend grew into something even bigger. Across Australia, people moved their way, rallied their teammates and supporters, and raised more than $240,000 to strengthen rainbow communities: up almost 50% compared to 2025.
The result belongs to everyone who showed up: participants, donors, workplaces, community groups, ambassadors and event organisers. Together, we proved that Pride Month can be both a celebration and a powerful opportunity for action.
Impact snapshot
Over $240,000 raised for rainbow communities, up almost 50% year-on-year
1,829 Sweaty Bettys including 346 teams
83% of participants surveyed rated their experience Excellent or Very Good
91% said they would recommend Sweat with Pride to others
89% said they are likely to return next year
A simple challenge with a powerful purpose
The idea behind Sweat with Pride is simple: move your way for 21 minutes a day throughout June and raise what you can for rainbow communities. Participants can go solo or join a team, and make the challenge uniquely theirs.
One of this year’s top fundraisers, Nathan, summed it up:
“I absolutely loved participating in Sweat with Pride. It was a great way to have fun, stay active and raise money for an important cause. What motivates me most is seeing the impact that fundraising has on our queer community, especially for young people who benefit from these programs and services. It’s also been a great conversation starter at work, creating opportunities to challenge stereotypes and reduce stigma. For me, Sweat with Pride is a win-win-win.” – Nathan
Pride is more than a moment on the calendar. It is something we build, fund and protect together, and Sweat with Pride helps make that possible.
Why it matters
Across Australia, LGBTQIA+ community organisations provide vital services in mental health, legal assistance, education, advocacy and belonging. Many are doing that work with limited resources, growing demand and uncertain funding.
Sweat with Pride turns the energy of Pride Month into practical support for the people and organisations strengthening rainbow communities all year round. For participants, it can also create a meaningful sense of belonging. Sarah, who lives rurally, told us the challenge “helped me feel connected to the LGBTQIA+ community”.
Every donation, kilometre, gym class, team challenge and sweaty selfie helped make that impact possible.
Sweaty Bettys and supporters at the Sweat with Pride Community Launch
Meet the Sweaty Bettys
The people behind Sweat with Pride made this year special.
Solo participants set their own pace. Workplace teams brought coworkers together. Gyms, run clubs, fitness communities and social groups made the challenge their own. LGBTQIA+ community members, allies, first-timers and returning Sweaty Bettys all showed up in different ways and together created something powerful.
One participant shared:
“Sweat with Pride gave me a goal to go for, a community worth being a part of and a cause to push my limits for." – Justin
Another told us:
“Sweat with Pride was a great way to connect with colleagues in my workplace with a shared goal of raising money collectively, and the added bonus of getting a little fitter through a bit of competitive sweating!" – Liz
For many, the campaign became a way to bring people together:
“I'm still in shock by the generosity of those who showed up for the cause. Sweat with Pride was a huge success in our gym and brought us all together!" – Sam
The campaign also created space for visibility and personal storytelling. Jos reflected on growing up as a closeted queer and neurodivergent young person, and on participating proudly for those who have felt they needed to hide:
“By stepping into this visibility, I am standing loud and proud, speaking up for all the queer kids who had to hide in the closet... authentic representation and visibility aren't just a luxury; they are life-saving necessities." – Jos
Allies joined to support the people and communities they care about, too:
“I am not part of the community but it absolutely gave me great pride to support the cause and the fundraising. Having friends that suffer discrimination motivated me to fund for more supportive communities and awareness." – Ricardo
This sense of connection came through again and again. Sweat with Pride created space for movement, fundraising, conversation, allyship and pride, whether someone participated with a team, shared their story online or took 21 minutes for themselves each day.
Sweat with Pride ambassador Kath Ebbs speaks at our Community Launch
It takes a village to build a movement
This year’s campaign was powered by a generous and joyful network of people who helped Sweat with Pride reach new communities.
Workplaces continued to show up for Pride, bringing the challenge into offices, staff groups and organisations across the country. Team captains rallied colleagues, encouraged friendly competition and kept people motivated from day one to the final leaderboard.
One team summed up their June perfectly:
“We took Pride in our stride this year. Thanks for helping us turn sweat into support. See you next year!" – Niesha
Gyms, clubs and community partners hosted events, classes and meet-ups that gave people a way to sweat together in person. Community voices online shared their reasons for taking part and invited new audiences to join the movement.
Sweat with Pride 2026 ambassadors
Our 2026 ambassadors Mitch Brown, Lou Keck, Kath Ebbs, King Cuuntessa and Joe Ball did more than front the campaign: they took part, shared their experiences and helped bring Sweat with Pride to new communities.
Mitch shared:
“Sport and movement have always been a huge part of my life. Not just for physical health, but for connection, confidence and feeling part of something bigger. That’s why getting involved in Sweat with Pride was a no-brainer. Everyone deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported being active and participating in sport exactly as they are. I’m proud to be part of it.”
Rhythm Republic, one of the community partners that hosted dance fitness classes in support of the campaign, shared:
“Rhythm Republic was honoured to host dance fitness classes to support Sweat with Pride! Queer people have given so much to the dance world. Our community was honoured to pay our respect, and come together as allies in supporting Sweat with Pride."
And one workplace team told us:
“Staff from VPC Resident Orgs had so much fun participating in SWP and raising money for a great cause!" – Karyn
Together, these contributions made the campaign feel bigger than a wellness challenge. Sweat with Pride became a shared invitation: move your way, bring your people and help make Pride Month count.
Sweaty Bettys shared their progress and plenty of selfies on Instagram
Every kind of sweat counts
One of the most joyful parts of Sweat with Pride is seeing how creatively people interpret the challenge.
Some participants ran, cycled or lifted weights. Others danced, stretched, walked the dog, cleaned the house, skated, swam, joined group classes or found gentle ways to move that worked for their body and life.
Sweat with Pride is not about being the fastest, fittest or most competitive. It is about making movement feel possible, personal and connected to something bigger.
As one community member put it, the campaign "completely throws out the traditional, rigid ideas of fitness" and reminds people that every bit of movement counts.
The sweat was personal, the community was everything
Across June, the Sweat with Pride community showed up online and in person.
Participants shared Instagram stories, joined the Strava club, cheered each other on, attended events and helped build momentum throughout the month.
Sweat Saturdays, Sweat with Pride+ events, ambassador moments and community-led activations brought the campaign to life. Leaderboards, reward milestones, team updates and fundraising wins helped keep the energy going.
Behind it all were thousands of individual acts of care: people asking their networks to give, making time to move and choosing to back rainbow communities. The campaign gave people a way to talk about why LGBTQIA+ funding matters, why community-led support is needed and why Pride should translate into action.
The team behind Sweat with Pride
How 30 days becomes 365
The impact of Sweat with Pride does not stop when the leaderboard closes.
Funds raised this June support ACON, Australia's leading LGBTQIA+ health organisation, to deliver year-round programs such as the LOVE Project, TransHub and First Nations Health Programs.
The campaign also supports grants from Rainbow Giving to organisations delivering vital, community-led work across the country, from safe sport initiatives like Pride Cup and family support through Rainbow Families, to advocacy through Trans Justice Project.
This is what 21 minutes a day can look like a year later: mental health support that is still running, legal advocacy that is still fighting, and communities that are safer and more connected because of what people built together in June.
Our top Sweaty Bettys each raised over $1,000 for rainbow communities
Thank you
To every Sweaty Betty who moved, donated, shared, encouraged, hosted, posted, stretched, danced, walked, ran, wheeled, sweated or cheered from the sidelines: thank you.
You made this the biggest Sweat with Pride yet. You helped make Pride Month count and showed what is possible when a community moves together.
Working on this campaign and seeing that community come to life was a privilege for everyone involved.
Round three is already on our minds, and we hope to see you in June 2027. Stay tuned!
