Boak back with message of power
PORT Adelaide captain Travis Boak proved a hit as an inspirational guest speaker at Surf Coast Secondary College’s valedictory dinner on Wednesday night.
The Torquay product and Oberon College alumnus was invited by his former school footy coach Peter Raidme, who is now Surf Coast’s student wellbeing co-ordinator.
When the school principal drew on Raidme to find a guest speaker with a sporting background, he knew just the person.
“I rang Trav and I knew what he was going to do; he said, ‘Yep, I’ll come over’,” Raidme said.
With permission from the Power, Boak paid for his own return flight from Adelaide to talk to the students at their valedictory dinner.
The Raidme and Boak families go a long way back, with Peter good friends with Boak’s father Roger, who passed away with cancer before Travis was drafted.
Raidme said Boak was very well received by the guests for his insights, including his work with cancer patients and related organisations.
“He spoke to all the Year 12s, parents and teachers and gave some stories along his journey about his family, his values and then his role mod- els — linking in with mentors, teachers he’d come across — and then using those mentors to take a risk and explore the world,” Raidme said.
“There was a thunderous round of applause.”
Boak’s mum Chicki, who works at Torquay College, also had a special night, seeing her son inspire many of kids she had taught from a primaryschool age.