MICHAEL O’MALLEY
Former boxer and Torquay resident prepares to embark on his 50th trek of Kokoda in an effort to guide and motivate at-risk youth.
A FORMER boxer residing in Torquay is gearing up for a gruelling eight-day trek across the nation’s most significant World War II battlefield in a bid to alleviate Greater Geelong’s youth crime.
Michael O’Malley will march through mud and rain — alongside a group of at-risk Geelong teens — during a quest along the Kokoda Track next week.
Run solely by volunteers and facilitated through donations, Mr O’Malley’s not-forprofit group has worked wonders with struggling youth.
His efforts — in conjunction with Victoria Police — have reportedly reduced instances of truancy, anti-social behaviour, low level offending, suicide and family violence across Torquay, Geelong and the Surf Coast.
He says providing juvenile offenders with goals can help them break the cycle of offending.
“Initially I went over and did it for fitness, and after my first trip I just fell in love with it,” he said. “These kids are our future and we’ve got to help support them and guide them in the right direction. Showing them the kids in Papua New Guinea who have nothing is extremely humbling to them.”
During his boxing career, Mr O’Malley became the first Australian in 24 years to win a Commonwealth title on foreign soil as well as the first Australian to win two national titles in the same year.
After watching the rate of youth crimes escalate, Mr O’Malley decided to intervene.
“It’s about opening their eyes to the rest of the world, showing them what Australians did for us in World War II and showing them just how lucky we are,” he said.
The Department of Education Early Childhood Development, Ambulance Victoria and Barwon Health have already partnered with Victoria Police in the Geelong Youth Kokoda Program.
Fourteen at-risk Geelong teenagers have signed up for the brutal challenge — each with their own unique and tumultuous histories that led them to the program. Emotional hardship, chaotic home environments and teenage angst might have set many on a path to selfdestruction, but the jungle doesn’t discriminate.
“We pay for their flights, passport, food and immunisations, ” Mr O’Malley said.
“It changes how they perceive life and what they take for granted.”