24.10.25

Wipeout Dementia Campaign Marks 10 Years and $350,000 Raised for Research

Professional big wave surfer Felicity Palmateer has shared her personal story of losing her mother to frontotemporal dementia as she joined 72 surfers for today’s 10-year anniversary of Wipeout Dementia, raising $350,000 for dementia research at UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA).

 

Palmateer, who lost her mother Pauline at just 52, said she is determined to raise awareness about younger-onset and hereditary dementias and to inspire greater investment in research.

 

“The energy on the day was unreal,” said Palmateer. “There was such a sense of community and purpose in the water - everyone was surfing for someone they love, and that gave the whole event incredible heart. To see so many people come together for dementia research was really special.”

 

“Watching Mum deteriorate was like losing her in slow motion,” she added. “She was diagnosed at 46, and over the next six years I saw her health decline until she passed away in 2021. Losing her so young has given me an incredible sense of urgency - to live life fully, to cherish the people I love and to do whatever I can to help change the future for families like mine.”

 

Since the first Wipeout Dementia in 2015, the number of people living with dementia worldwide has risen from 44 million to 57 million, a figure projected to grow sharply without a medical breakthrough. With dementia now the leading cause of death in Australia, and one in four Australians expected to be over 65 by mid-century, researchers say investment in prevention is more critical than ever.

 

Ten Years of Waves for a Cause

 

Founded in 2015 as part of CHeBA’s The Dementia Momentum initiative, Wipeout Dementia began as a grassroots idea - an executive surf competition linking physical fitness and brain health. A decade on, it has become one of Sydney’s most distinctive corporate social impact campaigns, uniting the property and finance industries with elite athletes and researchers.

 

The 10-year event, held in partnership with URBNSURF Sydney, brought together 72 corporate surfers led by Captains Anthony Scotts, Peter Clemesha, Philip Vivian, Craig Rodgers, Steve Watson, Mike Gordon, Darren Beasley, Clare Coleman and Reece Tabor, alongside a powerhouse ambassador lineup including Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew AM, Mark “Occy” Occhilupo, Owen Wright and Felicity Palmateer.

 

The event was proudly supported by major sponsor Morgans, with additional backing from Avenor, Versatile Group, Winten Property Group, Australian Workstation Manufacturers (AWM), Essence Project Management, SHAPE Australia, Sense Projects, Liberty Specialty Markets, Wentworth and Haigs Builder Brokers.

A highlight of the day was the ‘Gnarly Award’, a Mark Richards surfboard presented to highest fundraiser Michael Gordon (Versatile) for the fourth consecutive year, with his team Gordo’s Grovelers also taking home the highest team fundraising prize.

 

With only a narrow margin separating the teams, Clemo’s Diehards captained by Peter Clemesha once again claimed victory in the Surf Off Champions - marking their fourth consecutive win.

 

“Each year we see the human side of dementia through the stories of our surfers,” said Professor Henry Brodaty AO, CHeBA Co-Director. “Their passion fuels our research and reminds us why advancing prevention and treatment is so urgent. Dementia isn’t just a health issue - it’s a social and economic challenge that will touch every Australian family.”

 

Surfing Toward a Healthier Brain

 

Funds raised through Wipeout Dementia support CHeBA’s research into brain ageing and dementia prevention, including studies examining how lifestyle and vascular risk factors influence cognitive health.

 

This year’s funds will contribute to expanding CHeBA’s prevention research and accelerating international studies into vascular dementia - often referred to as the preventable dementia - aimed at identifying risk factors and developing strategies to stop the disease before it starts.

 

CHeBA’s landmark Maintain Your Brain trial, the world’s largest online lifestyle intervention study, found that modifying lifestyle factors can delay dementia onset by more than a year - a change that could reduce dementia prevalence by 15% by mid-century, saving billions in care costs.

 

“Events like Wipeout Dementia show what happens when corporate and community leaders unite around purpose,” said Professor Perminder Sachdev AM, CHeBA Co-Director. “This funding directly supports research that improves diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia - one of the defining health challenges of our time.”

 

A Decade of Impact

 

For campaign creator Heidi Douglass, the milestone is a powerful reminder of what community can achieve.

 

“What started as a wild idea - an executive surf comp linking fitness, brain health and community - has become a movement that’s changed the conversation around dementia,” said Douglass. “It’s about families like Felicity’s, and the countless others who have shared their stories and heartbreak. Every surfer, sponsor and supporter is helping to accelerate the science that will change the future of dementia in Australia.”

As Australia faces an ageing population and a growing dementia crisis, Wipeout Dementia stands as a symbol of hope - showing that through community, connection and research, real change is possible.

 

Donate at: https://wipeout-dementia-2025.raiselysite.com/t/clemos-diehards