MIES (Switzerland) - For years, Greg Hire’s toughness was measured in rebounds, grit and the heart he poured into every game. Today, that same strength shows up in conversations that can change, and even save, lives.
As the world marks World Mental Health Day, the former Perth Wildcats and Australian 3x3 star is using his platform for something far beyond basketball: creating space for people to open up about their struggles. His message is simple but powerful, that real strength isn’t about silence.
It's about honesty.
"It’s not about fixing everything overnight" he says. "It's about reminding people they’re not alone."
From the Court to a Calling
Hire’s shift from athlete to advocate didn’t start with a grand plan. It started with a friend in pain.
"At the time, I was deep in my career, focused on performance and winning," he recalls. "But watching someone I cared about suffer made me stop and think about what actually matters."
That moment was a turning point, and it exposed how many athletes were quietly battling their own mental health challenges beneath the surface.
"It wasn’t a career move," he says. "It was a calling."
A Stitch in Time: Turning Pain Into Purpose
In 2014, Hire founded A Stitch in Time, a mental-health organization that began as a small act of compassion and has grown into a community movement.
"It started out of grief, guilt and a genuine desire to make a difference," he shares. "What began as raising funds for another charity has grown into hundreds of workshops across schools, clubs and workplaces."
Through storytelling, education and open dialogue, the initiative helps people see vulnerability not as weakness, but as courage.
"You can’t measure this work on a spreadsheet because it’s deeply human."
Hire remembers one young man who approached him after one of his talks, tears in his eyes.
"He said, ‘You made me realise I’m not broken. I just needed to talk.’ That’s what it’s all about."
When Vulnerability Becomes a Superpower
In his early days as a speaker, Hire focused on facts and research. One day, however, he decided to share his own story instead.
"I spoke about the nights that felt heavier than I wanted to admit," he says. "For a moment, the whole room went still. That’s when I realised: vulnerability isn’t weakness. It's a bridge."
From that day, his message evolved. Instead of lecturing, he connects. Instead of talking at audiences, he talks with them.
"In sport, we’re taught to be bulletproof, but what if real strength is doing the opposite?"
Whether in locker rooms, classrooms or boardrooms, Hire has seen firsthand how openness can change cultures.
"When leaders and teammates start to open up," he says, "you can literally see people’s shoulders relax. They realise they’re not alone."
Life After the Final Buzzer
When Hire retired from professional basketball, he faced a familiar challenge for many athletes: rediscovering who he was beyond the game.
"You go from being ‘Greg the basketballer’ to suddenly asking, ‘Who am I now?’" he reflects.
It was a hard transition that was marked by loss of identity, structure and belonging. However, he found purpose again through family, community and advocacy.
Then came 3x3 basketball, which reignited his passion for the game.
"It was fast, fresh and fun. It gave me a second wind," he says. "Basketball became the bridge again. There were no titles, no barriers, just people connecting."
His work with regional and Aboriginal communities through 3x3 programs has become deeply meaningful.
"You roll a ball out onto the court, and suddenly you’re connected," he says. "That’s when the real conversations start."
Changing the Game
Hire believes sport can be one of the most powerful vehicles for mental-health awareness, but only if its culture evolves.
"It starts with leadership," he says. "When coaches and captains model vulnerability, the ripple effect is huge."
He hopes to see mental recovery valued just as much as physical recovery, and he hopes emotional honesty can be treated as a form of strength, not a flaw.
"When you support the person behind the athlete, the performance takes care of itself."
Finding Balance and Living the Message
Even as an advocate, though, Hire admits the work can be emotionally heavy.
"I’ve learned to practice what I preach," he says. "I make time for family, get outdoors and exercise for joy, not performance."
His motivation comes from the people he meets who find hope in his message.
"When you get a message saying, ‘Your talk made me get help,’ that’s everything," he says. "If this work saves even one life, it’s worth every bit of energy."
A Hopeful Future
Looking ahead, Hire dreams of a world where mental health isn’t a special topic but simply part of life.
"My hope is that one day, we won’t need ‘awareness weeks,’" he says. "Because everyone will feel safe to say, ‘I’m struggling,’ without fear or shame."
As World Mental Health Day reminds us to check in on those around us, Greg Hire continues to lead by example. He continues to show that the true measure of strength isn’t how high you jump or how tough you look.
It’s how honest you’re willing to be.
"Vulnerability doesn’t make you less of a man, teammate, or leader. It makes you more human."
FIBA