Courtesy of Livin
Sam Webb is in the middle of a speaking tour when WHO caught up with the actor and 2016 Survivor Australia contestant about Livin, the youth-focused charity he co-founded with partner Casey Lyons in 2013. “I’m presenting at a school tomorrow around one of my keynote presentations on leadership and then I’m speaking to a school after that about mental health and suicide prevention,” says Webb, 28. “It doesn’t stop — it’s so busy. But I love what I do.”
That is why Webb is one of eight “Beautiful Hearts” featured in WHO’s 2017 Most Beautiful People issue. “We were just out there trying to save a life by talking about it,” Webb says of how Livin began, “but our mission is a lot bigger now and we’ve got bigger goals.”
Nearly four years ago, Webb was just embarking on an acting career when his mate Dwayne Lally committed suicide. “His death really hit home with me,” Webb says. “I spoke with Dwayne the night before he passed away and I had my own mental-health challenges. And I lost a couple people in my family to suicide, so it was something very close to my heart.”
While acting gave him purpose and kept him grounded, he says, Webb and Lyons were compelled to found Livin to address mental health issues to a young demographic. “We’re just ordinary guys doing ordinary things, sharing stories that are very relatable,” Webb explains. “Everyone is a part of the Livin family and no one is higher than anyone else.”
It’s that egalitarian approach that has seen interest in the charity spike, from the increasing number of students who attend Webb’s talks to the rise in celebrities like Chris Hemsworth donning Livin merchandise as a sign of support. “When you see people like Hemsworth wearing our stuff, it’s very humbling,” Webb says. “It also makes a big change because these people are leaders in their own right. It’s only going to benefit a lot of people.”
This month, Webb is touring throughout the United States to give a series of talks and then will be seen in a guest stint on Neighbours in June. “I find it a great balance,” he says, “the work I do with Livin and the work I do with acting.”
For more on Webb and the celebrities featured in “Beautiful Hearts,” pick up the special double issue of WHO on newsstands today.
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