29 Oct 2018
Jeremy Head (Vice-Captain) travelled to Papua New Guinea in the school holidays as part of the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge. Jeremy won a sponsorship through Sussex Inlet RSL Club and set out, with other students from across Australia, to tackle the Kokoda Track.
In preparation for the gruelling trek, Jeremy set himself an extensive training regime, however nothing could have prepared him for the endless hours of walking through the unforgiving terrain of the Kokoda Track. Jeremy explains, “I was expecting the trek to be difficult but it was even tougher than I had thought. Walking down the slippery slopes put a huge amount of pressure on your ankles. The continuous walking whilst carrying 21kg was very challenging. The heat was bad too. At first I was not acclimatised and would sweat a lot, but after a few days it got better.”
Most days began at 4.00 am when the group would pack up their tents and have breakfast. During this time, Jeremy would mentally prepare himself for the 20km trek ahead. “The mental challenge of the trek was more difficult than the physical challenge. Many of the students were not physically fit and found the trek extremely difficult. I had trained for the trek but had developed huge blisters on my feet. I had to push myself to keep going.”
When asked about how the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge has changed him, Jeremy said that it was difficult to put into words. Learning about the stories of the Australians who fought on the Kokoda Track was particularly moving for Jeremy, as was the experience of walking in the footsteps of his great-grandfathers who had served there.
No doubt on the Remembrance Day Jeremy will be reflecting on his experiences on the Kokoda Track and the 625 Australians who died there.
Lest We Forget