Walking Kokoda for mental health

This weekend has seen some amazing participants endure the 2019 Kokoda Challenge on the Gold Coast with same amazing stories of persistence and endurance with people entering the Challenge for either physical or emotional reasons. 

Earlier in the year, we had an incredible story of several participants embarking on the actual Kokoda Trek in Papua New Guinea who were walking for mental health and walking for LIVIN. 

Mark Otte from Condev Construction on the Gold Coast was joined with Luke Mawson, a sixteen-year-old high school student from Marsden High School and his father Dave on the ANZAC Day Trek through the treacherous 8 day trek through some of the toughest and most challenging terrain any of the team had experienced. 

The trio joined a team of other amazing participants from the Australian Kokoda Tours, an organisation that coordinates Kokokda Tours and ensures all of their members who participate in this extraordinary challenge have all of the support that is needed.

Whilst everyone that went on this years ANZAC Kokoda Trek all had different backgrounds, there were a few that were there for the same reason, spreading awareness for mental health.

Luke’s motivation came from the loss of his sixteen-year-old friend to suicide several years ago and has been an advocate for mental health awareness ever since and responsible for getting the LIVINWell Program presented to his high school.  Luke also raised over $3,000 through his EverydayHero page for his trek through Kokoda. 

Mark Otte took this opportunity to not just raise awareness for mental health and the LIVIN Organisation but also funding with an incredible amount of over $13,000 achieved through his own EverydayHero campaign page. 

“I am an ex soldier and wanted to spread the word about the mental issues that young men have to go through in today’s times. LIVIN do this by what they do. I’m inspired by the work of the organisation and want to support them by raising as much money as I can to help them.” Said Mark of his involvement in the Kokoda Trek which saw an extensive training regime leading up to the trek whilst still working full time at Condev Construction.  Mark’s amazing initiative also helped to inspire his workplace with Condev creating their own charity golf day event for LIVIN. 

Initiatives such as this where supporters of mental health invest so much of their own time and money and push themselves both physically and mentally, is a true representation on how important mental health is across all generations and supporters who have been affected by mental health on different levels. 

We can not thank Mark, Luke and Dave enough for their courage and determination in completing a trek that has broken so many and we will be forever grateful in taking our message with you along the way. 

#ItAintWeakToSpeak

If you would like to take LIVIN with you on your journey, contact our head office today. 

Mark Otte, Luke Mawson and Dave Mawson celebrate the completion

of their 8 day Kokoda Trek in Papua New Guinea for LIVIN.