Our Story
On 21 September 2018, Paul Holliday walked to the ocean alone at sunrise and jumped in. A few days later, friends started joining him. Nearly eight years and 2,795 consecutive days later, that simple act has grown into one of Perth's most vibrant community wellbeing movements, inspiring groups across Perth and around the world.
The Mission
The Human Excellence Project was born from a simple belief: that chronic depression, anxiety, and suicide are largely preventable, not just treatable. The answer isn't found in a pill bottle. It's found in community, in cold water, in breath, in movement, and in the rare experience of being truly known by other people.
We create free, daily opportunities for people to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world. Our programs are rooted in the science of social connection, nervous system regulation, and the profound mental health benefits of cold water immersion.
We are completely free to participate. We are entirely alcohol-free. We are funded by sponsorships and grants from people and organisations who believe that a healthier community is worth investing in. Every person who walks down to the water changes the statistics.
See Our ProgramsImpact & Recognition
Individual community members have taken the plunge across 2,795 consecutive days, each one a small act of courage with a big ripple effect.
Women have participated in our facilitated mental health groups, building lifelong friendships and emotional resilience.
Fundraised for mental health causes through community events including The Ride of Our Lives, Sydney to Perth.
Recognised for outstanding contribution to community wellbeing and mental health prevention in Perth, WA.
The Founder
Paul Holliday is the founder of The Human Excellence Project, a Perth-based community movement that started with the most human idea imaginable: what if the answer to the mental health crisis wasn't in a clinic, but at the ocean's edge, surrounded by people who genuinely showed up for each other?
On 21 September 2018, nearly eight years and 2,795 consecutive days ago, Paul walked down to the beach alone just before sunrise and jumped in. He came back the next day, and the day after that. Before long, a handful of friends joined him. They jumped in together. They laughed. Today that simple act has grown into one of Perth's most vibrant wellbeing communities, with over 58,000 cold water dips taken, hundreds of people supported through mental health programs, and a ripple effect inspiring communities across Australia and beyond.
But Paul's work goes deeper than cold water and morning dips. The further he looked into the mental health crisis, the more he kept arriving at the same uncomfortable truth: that most of what we call mental illness can be traced back to two things, inequality and poverty, playing out inside a system that has made the endless pursuit of money its highest value. That pursuit has quietly hollowed out the things that matter most. Community. Presence. Time. Love. The disease isn't laziness or weakness. It is a world that has confused busyness with purpose and wealth with worth.
HEP exists to do the exact opposite.
Here, nothing is for sale. No one is chasing anything. The ocean doesn't care what you earn, what you own, or what you do for a living. What matters is that you showed up.
Paul's vision is both radical and beautifully simple. A world where only one parent needs to work. Where a mother can choose to be home, present, and unhurried with her own children. Where a family can afford a roof over their heads, a holiday once a year, a car in the driveway, and food on the table without fear. These things are not luxuries. They are the foundation of a life. And they used to be possible. They will be again.
Because when the pressure lifts, love has room to breathe. When debt doesn't own the family home, dad comes home for dinner. When parents aren't exhausted and stretched to their limits, children grow up feeling safe, seen, and deeply loved. A truly loving marriage, a stable home, kids who are held and supported: that is not a dream from the past. It is the answer to almost everything we are struggling with right now. Join us to DREAM this world back into existence today. Your grandchildren need you to say: Not on my watch.
Paul built HEP because he believes people deserve better than the world they have been handed. Everything here is free. And every morning, without exception, the ocean is waiting.
Our Framework
Everything we do, every dip, every shared challenge, every coffee gathering, is in service of building these five essential human capabilities in our community.
Cultivating curiosity and genuine acceptance of self and others, without the filters of judgement, fear, or pre-formed conclusions.
Actively seeking out viewpoints that differ from your own. Our community brings together people of all backgrounds, ages, and life experiences.
The ability to create meaning from complex, ambiguous situations and find your place within the larger story of community and humanity.
Developing a consistent internal navigation system rooted in your deepest values, so you know who you are and where you're going, regardless of external noise.
Extending genuine empathy to yourself and to others. Compassion is not just kindness, it is the emotional foundation that makes resilient communities possible.
Be Part of It
Every morning dip starts with one decision: to show up. Come find out why 26,000 dips later, people keep coming back.