Friday, July 18  

A Story About A Real Teacher

Some people can have a very profound influence on others.

One of my son's teacher is a guy called Glen Hogan.

Mr Hogan is a young teacher who asked my great son Harry and 3 of his mates if they'd like to have a go at doing the Kokoda Challenge - a 96 km trek through the hilly Gold Coast hinterland.

They're walking it tomorrow.

It's a fundraising walk and gives the teams a taste of the efforts of the Australian soldiers on the legendary Kokoda Trail.

My son Harry is 14. His idea of a big physical challenge was to have a game of soccer.

But Mr Hogan is obviously a guy he respects, a guy he admires and a guy who has inspired him tremendously.

Mr Hogan's preparation for the trek was enough for Harry to understand he was in for a hard, tough challenge.

Trained Relentlessly

For the past 6 months Harry has trained relentlessly to prepare for this bush walk.

• 6 am runs in the freezing cold with Chris (our personal trainer on the Gold Coast).
• 25 km training walks in the bush.
• A 28 km run he did just to see how far he could go.
• A 100 km bike ride with Jack and I,
• Run the Gold Coast Half Marathon (that's him and his mum at the finish).
  

Harry's a lot more confident in himself, he has a ton more initiative and he has a lot more self-awareness.

This is so much more than a walk - Mr Hogan has taught the lads about:

• teamwork,
• respect for each other,
• caring for each other,
• sacrifice,
• goal setting,
• self-discipline and so much more.

He's one of those lucky kids who has found the inspiration to push himself hard and had the discipline and courage to understand that you need to persevere and push on.

And all that's due to Mr Hogan. He's taught Harry and the other lads skills and tools that can enrich their lives forever. Terrific stuff.

The Team Name....

I must admit I was thrilled to hear the team name:


Cheers

Brendon