There are some people whose presence you never forget—not because of fame or status, but because of the way they carry themselves with quiet strength, deep kindness, and unwavering authenticity. Gary Sutcliffe is one of those rare individuals.
For the past two decades, Gary has turned his lived experience of mental distress into a powerful force for change. His voice has helped shape mental health service delivery and development during some of the most critical times in Aotearoa New Zealand’s mental health history.
In his late forties, Gary faced what felt like an impossible situation—closing the sports store he had poured his heart into. What followed were panic attacks and a long, challenging period of depression. It took him years to find himself again. But what at first seemed like a personal crisis became the unlikely doorway into a new calling—one he never imagined: working in the field of mental health. At the time, depression was rarely spoken about, and stigma was widespread. Still, something within him knew he needed to connect with others who had walked a similar path.
By chance, Gary came across Tea Ata, a new consumer-led mental health organisation. He was quickly invited to join the board, and from that moment, a new journey began, one he could never have foreseen.
Son of the legendary cricketer Bert Sutcliffe, who still holds some of the most remarkable test records in cricket history, Gary chose a different kind of legacy. Rather than following in his father's footsteps in sport, he carried forward the values Bert modelled: humility, generosity, authenticity, and humanity. And Gary did so not on the field, but in every life he touched.
From his early days of bringing the consumer voice to organisations like Framework Trust, Connect Support Recovery (now Ember Korowai Takitini), and Pathways, to visiting the United States to observe the peer workforce, Gary helped lay the foundations for peer support in New Zealand. He became a specialist in integrating lived experience into mental health services long before it was widely accepted as a best practice.
But the journey was not easy. In those earlier days, even as the idea of “recovery” began to take root, there was resistance. Lived experience was often undervalued, especially by those who had worked in clinical services for decades. Still, Gary remained grounded in the belief that people who had experienced mental distress deserved the best possible care, delivered by those who truly understood. This belief gave him the drive to keep going, fuelled by a deep sense of meaning and purpose.
His humility and openness to learning earned him the trust of many senior professionals. He was invited into key roles to help shape future services, including in primary health care, where patients presenting with long-term conditions were offered one-on-one support to manage their wellbeing.
Gary was also one of the faces of Sir John Kirwan’s landmark Depression.org.nz campaign, targeting men over forty who were often reluctant to seek help due to societal expectations of toughness and silence.
Later in life, as Gary and his wife Janelle prepared to enjoy a quieter retirement, they faced another life-altering challenge. Janelle was diagnosed with aphasia, a rare condition that affects speech and often signals the onset of dementia. In response, Gary became a carer and an advocate, helping to establish a carers support group through Aphasia New Zealand Charitable Trust for others in similar situations—navigating the heartbreak of watching a loved one’s cognitive abilities slowly fade, while also supporting others who are walking the same path.
Now living in a retirement village, Gary continues to offer his time, wisdom, and support to others. He serves as a board member of the Collaborative Aotearoa board and has recently stepped down, volunteers to drive cancer patients to their appointments, and advocates for those who the justice system has let down due to their mental health issues.
Gary Sutcliffe stands as a quiet force of courage and dignity. Again and again, he has shown up—not only for himself but for others—turning personal adversity into shared strength. He has never allowed life’s challenges to dim his light. Instead, he stands tall, using his experience to help shape a better, more compassionate system for the future.
At Authenticity Studio, we are honoured to celebrate Gary. His life is a testament to the fact that kindness, clarity, and authenticity can bring about systemic change, not through shouting, but through walking steadily, with heart and truth, and inviting others to walk alongside.
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