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Meet the mental health nurse who married a stranger on TV and is now going for gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Gold Coast Health Registered Nurse Ridge Barredo will have a special cheer squad when he competes in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games – the youngsters he cares for across our Child and Youth Mental Health service.
It is not the first time the 30-year-old has stepped into the national spotlight.
Along with competing at the two previous Commonwealth Games, he signed up for the 2024 season of reality TV show Married at First Sight (MAFS) – a decision that led to him finding a home at Gold Coast Health.
“I certainly didn’t expect to end up moving interstate but here we are,” Ridge said of swapping Sydney for the Gold Coast after finding love on the program with Jade Pywell.
“We initially did long distance, but six months was long enough, so I decided to look for a job in Queensland.
“We got quite lucky because I think there are only eight couples across all the seasons who are still together. I still get the odd person who recognises me from the show. Even walking into work recently, a paramedic said, ‘Aren’t you Ridge from MAFS’.”
With the Commonwealth Games running from 23 July to 2 August, an increasing number of Australians may soon be asking ‘Aren’t you Ridge the weightlifter?’ as he aims to better his 8th and 5th placings at the 2018 and 2022 Games.
“This one has to be top three,” Ridge said of his Glasgow goal.
“When I finished playing rugby league as a 20-year-old, I started CrossFit to avoid putting on weight and found that I excelled at the weightlifting side. I’ve lifted 161kg in the ‘snatch’ and 200kg in the ‘clean and jerk’ and am aiming for the podium.
“When I started weightlifting, I just wanted to be the best I could, and it turns out that was good enough to go to the Commonwealth Games. It’s harder to qualify for the Olympics but Brisbane 2032 is the end-goal for me. I’ll be 36 then but I’d love to go to Brisbane, get the Olympic ring tattoo, and retire on the platform.”
Retirement from his mental health nursing career is further afield, which is a bonus for the young people he has chosen to dedicate his life to helping.
“Working in child and youth, we see a lot of kids that need support, and our job is providing the hope and perspective they can't see at such a young age,” Ridge said.
“They can arrive unwell and upset and to see them leave with a smile on discharge day and thanking us is always a win. That's such a good feeling.
“We spend a lot of time with them, so they know all about the Games. It's nice to know I'll have a little cheer squad here.”
