Luke Ambler and Jonny Mason are the men who want you to find your “Mission Possible,” to make small changes that eventually lead to big wins. While taking part in IRONMAN demonstrates the boy’s own dedication to endurance sports, and is an impressive endeavor it its own right, the “why” behind their tenaciousness runs deep. Luke has always taken solace in the fact that being active is a great way to find clarity, but when his brother-in-law took his own life, he launched “Andy’s Man Club” to offer support through self-help and peer-to-peer interactions. Luke’s good friend, Jonny Mason, has also lost loved ones to suicide and is along for the highs and lows of each and every IRONMAN journey. Both men hope that their efforts will put a spotlight on the issues surrounding suicide—a leading cause of death in men under 50—and prevent further tragedy through building a caring community.
Luke and Jonny are both 35 and were born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. In 2025, the close friends set out to complete five UK IRONMAN events in a single season, but they achieved greater success than they ever thought possible. The guys finished IRONMAN 70.3 events in Bolton, England, and Swansea, Wales, along with full IRONMAN events in Leeds, England, and Tenby, Wales. “But the momentum and inspiration generated by our “Mission Possible” campaign caught the attention of IRONMAN itself,” explains Luke. “They offered us ambassador slots at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice and that turned our challenge into something extraordinary, with two full IRONMAN races within seven days, in two of the hardest locations on the circuit: Nice and Wales.”
The road to the finish line has not always been smooth. Luke was a professional rugby player before turning to endurance sports. Being active has always provided him with a purpose, helping to deal with being bullied, family separation, and his mother’s traumatic brain injury as a child. He was scouted by Leeds Rhinos but when they let him go, Luke’s mental health suffered once again. Then, in 2016, following the tragic suicide of his brother-in-law, Andy Roberts, he founded Andy’s Man Club to support like-minded men who are struggling with mental health. Luke’s close friend, Jonny Mason, a proud father of three and passionate triathlete also found healing through IRONMAN races after losing loved ones to suicide.
Andy’s Man Club Proves Ordinary People Can Take on Extraordinary Challenges
Of their enduring efforts in IRONMAN, Luke says, “It was never just about crossing finish lines. It was about using the stage of IRONMAN to show that ordinary people can take on extraordinary challenges, while raising awareness for something far greater.”
Like Luke, Jonny Mason has built a love of endurance sports thanks to the positive effects they have on his mental health. “The hope is that through our journey, people see what we’re doing and feel inspired to chase down their own ‘possible,’” he explains. “And while we’re doing it, we’re raising that all-important awareness for Andy’s Man Club and pushing the message loud and clear: ‘It’s okay to talk!’”
The Office for National Statistics in the UK reports that males accounted for around three-quarters of all suicide deaths registered in 2023. The same year, data showed that suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 49,000 people. Suicide is a global problem.
To date, Andy’s Man Club supports more than 6,000 men every week with hundreds of peer-to-peer support groups and public speaking events. “Our mission is to prevent male suicide and smash the stigma around men’s mental health,” explains Luke. “Challenges like ‘Mission Possible’ aren’t about medals or personal glory—they’re about inspiring men to speak up, to find their own “possible,” and to realize they’re not alone. By taking on these races in front of a worldwide audience, we’re carrying that message further than ever before.”
And that’s the point of Mission Possible: You don’t need to be an elite athlete to get involved.
“I wouldn’t say I was particularly sporty before I started this journey in triathlon as an adult,” says Jonny. “But like with most people: family, business, and life became the priority as I got older, and sport dropped off. Once you stop, your lifestyle soon changes. More drinking, eating bad, and generally not looking after yourself. So, after years of that, I realized I needed to make a change.” Jonny tells M&F that he started out with “a bit” of running, and that small change led to entering endurance challenges alongside Luke. “Crossing that finish line, running down the red carpet, it’s unreal,” he shares. “But for me, it’s never just about the moment, it’s about everything behind it. It represents the hours of training, the discipline, the sacrifices… not just mine, but my family’s, too. It’s proof that with the right mindset, you can take on hard things and come out the other side stronger. The truth is that the hardest part isn’t race day; it’s the weeks and months before, juggling training around work, family life, and everything else that matters. That’s the real struggle. So, when I finally get to that finish line, the overriding feeling is gratitude.”
Luke tells M&F why pushing himself out of his comfort zone has been so good for his own mental health. “An IRONMAN is the ultimate test of endurance,” he says. “It combines the swim, bike, and run into one continuous battle, demanding not only physical strength but also mental toughness, patience, and resilience. Coming from a rugby background, I was used to explosive power, but IRONMAN requires a very different type of discipline. That challenge hooked me straight away. Sport also represents community, inspiration, and transformation. In each race you see people from all walks of life, overcoming their own struggles to get to the finish line. That message aligns perfectly with our work in mental health and with the values of Andy’s Man Club.”
For more information on Andy’s Man Club, click here.
To find an IRONMAN event near you, click here.
