Greg Inglis ran a Goanna Academy program at the Kelso Community Hub

On Tuesday, October 21, Inglis was in Bathurst to shine a spotlight on mental health at a free community workshop, held at the Kelso Community Centre as part of Inglis' program; Goanna Academy.

And, in comparison to his life on the footy field, working with mental health, especially with young men, and Indigenous people, is infinitely more rewarding.

"The satisfaction is out of this world," he said.

"What I did in rugby league and on the footy field was a whole different life, and I left that legacy there, and now I'm living a new legacy that is a new journey now, that is off the field."

This legacy all began with his own personal struggles, and a gentle push from a mental health provider, to share this story with the Australian public.

But, at first, Inglis was reluctant.

"My psychiatrist ... he kept pushing me to do the Australian Story and I didn't want to give anything out to the public eye, or to the public itself," he said.

"I was just wanting to keep my story and my life separate, and then he said these simple things, he said, 'Greg your story can help change a life and save a life', and that's what got me on this journey."

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And it's a journey that he is extremely thankful to be on; a journey that has helped to save his life.

"It's remarkable, it's incredible ... If it wasn't for me asking for help right there and then, all you would have known was Greg Inglis who played rugby league, not what I'm doing in the community now," Inglis said.

"Because if I didn't go do it ... I wouldn't be standing here today doing what I'm doing now, I'd be gone."

From sharing his own story, Inglis has been able to help countless others, and hopes to continue doing so for a long time through the Goanna Academy, which is the first accredited and Indigenous-owned mental health education provider.

Goanna Academy travels across Australia, and the event at the Kelso Hub was run in conjunction with the Western NSW Local Health District, with one mission in mind.

The Goanna mission is to help end the stigma surrounding mental health and improve social capacity to identify, talk about, and manage mental health for all Australians, particularly at risk groups.

This is especially important during October, Australia's National Mental Health Month, and Inglis had a message for all those who attended the Goanna Academy workshop.

"Ask for help, don't be ashamed, don't be shy. Mental health doesn't discriminate, it can happen to anyone at any time, old, young, it doesn't really matter, it's just about being aware of it," he said.

"The most important thing is to know that it's a journey, it doesn't just happen overnight, you've always got to continue to keep asking for help.

"Me coming out here and sharing my story, hopefully it encourages other people to do that as well."

It's this message that he hopes to be his lasting legacy.

"I left my legacy on the rugby league field, and now I want to leave, not the Greg Inglis legacy, it's the Goanna legacy," he said.

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